Usually when we talk about diseases, we refer to some organisms as parasites. But do you know what the term means parasite? Let's learn next.
All organisms that live in an ecosystem are related to each other. Some relationships benefit everyone, others only benefit one of the beings involved. Some interactions occur between organisms of the same species and others between organisms of different species.
O parasitism it is one of those relationships that do not benefit everyone and occur between organisms of different species. It is an association of two individuals, in which one takes their food from the other's body. we call parasite the organism that takes its food from the other individual and from host the individual being parasitized.
It is important to highlight that the parasites and hosts are quite adapted to each other. This is because the parasite needs to remove its nutrients, so it must act in a way that does not lead to death. If the host dies early, the parasite will soon have no food.
A parasite can live both outside and inside an organism. When they are on the outer surface of the host, they are called ectoparasites; but when they are inside, they are called endoparasites.
Ticks, fleas and lice are examples of ectoparasites. They live on the surface of animals' bodies and use the host's blood as food. Lice, fleas and ticks can be very itchy and can lead to scratching injuries.
Roundworms and tapeworms are examples of endoparasites, which cause, respectively, ascariasis and taeniasis. Ascariasis can be prevented by washing food thoroughly before eating, filtering or boiling water, and washing your hands. Taeniasis, on the other hand, can be prevented by not consuming undercooked pork or beef.
There are plant species that are parasitic, such as the It's European, a kind of vine
Despite what many people think, there are not only animal parasites. Viruses, fungi, bacteria, protozoa and plants can also parasitize organisms.
The lead vine is an example of a plant that parasitizes plants. This species does not have leaves and chlorophyll, thus not being able to carry out photosynthesis. It then penetrates its specialized roots into the host plant and extracts the organic sap from it.
There are also animals that are plant parasites. This is the case of aphids, which live on vegetables removing the sap from them.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
