On my first research I did about mutualism, today I would like to understand more about parasitism. As in general understanding, it is an interaction in which parasite benefits while a host is harm, but deeply.
What is parasitism all about? Is a kind of symbiosis, a close and persistent long-term biological interaction between a parasite and its host. Parasites feed on living hosts, for instance, may continue feeding on hosts they have killed. Entomologist E.O Wilson characterized parasites as ” Predators that eat prey in units less than one”[1]. Parasites eat the prey not to kill it but to harm it then finally it will kill. An obligate parasite depend completely on host to complete its life cycle, while facultative parasite does not. Parasite life cycles involving only one host are called direct, while those with definite hosts and at least one intermediate are called indirect.[1] Endoparasite lives inside the host’s , ectoparasite lives outside, on the host’s surface while mesoparasites enter an opening in the host’s body and remain partly embedded there.[1]For example aphids, these are insects that eat the sap from the plants on which they live.[2] The parasite adapts to tis environment by living in and use the host in a way that harm it, on the other hand host develop ways of getting rid of parasites, it can be by building symbiotic relationships with other organisms that feed on that parasite.[2]
There is a parasitic roundworm that commonly impacts people living in Kenya called Ascaris lumbricoides. It gets into the small intestine and uses the person as a host while it grows and develops. Heavy infections of these worms causes stunted growth in children through malnutrition. It can be prevented by avoiding ingestion of soil that have been contaminated, by washing hands with soap and water before handling food [3] By maintaining proper sanitation we can avoid roundworms infections.
References:
1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitism
3.https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/biology.html