Categories of Parasites
Parasites may be grouped by any of several traits. Ectoparasites live outside the body of the host, usually on the body surface. Well-known ectoparasites include fleas, ticks, and leeches. Endoparasites live within the host's body. Endoparasites can further be divided into those that live withinhost cells (bacteria and viruses), and those that live in spaces in the host's body (all other, generally larger, endoparasites).
Parasites may also be grouped depending on whether they are obligatory parasites, which must have a host in order to survive, or facultative parasites, species for which a parasitic lifestyle is optional. Facultative parasites adopt parasitic lifestyles if the opportunity arises, but they are also able to live free of a host organism.
Parasites are also grouped based on their size. Microparasites include viruses, bacteria, and fungi. These reproduce within the host and are characterized by comparatively small size and short life cycles. Microparasites also induce an immune response in the host, so that the ability to exploit a certain individual may be temporary. Macroparasites, on the other hand, typically describe larger parasites such as insects, worms, or vertebrates. They are larger in size (usually visible to the eye) and do not reproduce in the body of the host.
This is a free page. This page contains 199 words. This
article contains 2,170 words (approx. 7 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Article with our Parasitism Access Pass.
