Biology 2483A Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Gastrointestinal Tract, Parasitism, Whitefly
29 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Symbionts: organisms that live in or on other organisms. More than half of earth"s species are symbionts. Our own bodies can be a home to many other species. A parasite consumes the tissues or body fluids of the organism on which it lives (the host) Pathogens are parasites that cause disease (an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism) Parasites typically harm, but don"t immediately kill, the organisms they eat (unlike predators) Parasites typically feed on only one or a few host individuals. Include herbivores such as aphids or nematodes that feed on one or a few host plants. Parasitoids: insects whose larvae feed on a single host and almost always kill it. Macroparasites: large species such as arthropods and worms. Most species are attacked by more than one kind of parasite; even parasites have parasites. Many parasites are closely adapted to a particular host species. This specialization helps explain why there are so many species of parasites.
