Parasitology is a biological science that studies parasitism: a phenomenon through which the presence of a being is found, the so-called parasite, which takes up residence in another being (the host).
To detail this definition a little more, it can be said that parasitology is a branch of ecology that studies the relationships between parasites and hosts, as well as the environmental factors that influence these relationships. Thanks to parasitology, it is possible to know the behavior of viruses, fungi, bacteria and other parasitic organisms.
Transmission of parasites
One of the most common forms of transmission of parasites occurs with some insects (especially flies) that lay their eggs on open wounds on the body of another animal , when not directly on any of its natural orifices, such as in the ear or nasal passages. . Once the eggs hatch, the larvae penetrate the meat and begin to feed on their host. Parasitology
On the other hand, there is also the possibility that the parasite has an ectopic location , that is, it has a different location than it usually corresponds to. When these cases arise, the pathology may be more blamed than in normal cases.
Parasites can also lead migratory movements within the host’s body. This is the case of parasites that penetrate the host’s flesh and cross its blood stream, as is the case of parasites that have adapted to living outside their natural habitat, but which still have as their final stage a specific point in the organism (a bladder, kidneys or liver). Parasitology
parasitic relations
Among the most common types of parasitic relationships, we can highlight those that fall within a group of commensalism. In this case, the parasitic relationship is obligatory and may have an ecological, trophic or mixed character. It is a parasitism whose benefits are solely for the parasite, while the host organism has no benefit, as well as presenting no harm. Parasitology
Within the relations of commensalism we can mention some subclasses:
Simple commensalism : it is the association in which a parasite feeds on the waste left by the host, for example, the shark and the pilot fish.
