Human parasite
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Human Parasite
A Human Parasite (pronunciation: /ˈhjuːmən ˈpærəsaɪt/) is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. The word parasite comes from the Greek παράσιτος (parasitos), "one who eats at the table of another" and that from παρά (para), "beside, by" + σῖτος (sitos), "wheat", hence "food".
Types of Human Parasites
There are three main types of human parasites:
- Protozoa: These are microscopic, one-celled organisms that can be free-living or parasitic in nature. They are able to multiply in humans, which contributes to their survival and also permits serious infections to develop from just a single organism. Examples include Plasmodium (which causes malaria), Giardia (which causes giardiasis), and Cryptosporidium (which causes cryptosporidiosis).
- Helminths: These are large, multicellular organisms that are generally visible to the naked eye in their adult stages. They are often referred to as worms even though not all helminths are worms. Examples include Tapeworms, Roundworms, and Flukes.
- Ectoparasites: These are organisms such as ticks, fleas, lice, and mites that live on the surface of a host and feed on its blood. Examples include Head lice, Body lice, and Pubic lice.
Related Terms
- Host (biology): An organism that harbors a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist guest (symbiont), typically providing nourishment and shelter.
- Parasitism: A non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species, where one species, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host.
- Symbiosis: A close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Human parasite
- Wikipedia's article - Human parasite
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