Parasitism: It is a biological interaction in which one organism, the parasite, lives on or within another organism, the host, and benefits at the host’s expense. The parasite gains resources, such as food or shelter, from the host, while the host may suffer harm, reduced growth or reproduction, or even death.

Parasitism is common in many different organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. Some examples of parasitic relationships include:

• Tapeworms and mammals: Tapeworms live in the digestive tract of mammals, where they feed on partially digested food.
• Mosquitoes and humans: Mosquitoes feed on the blood of humans, which can transmit diseases like malaria and yellow fever.
• Lice and mammals: Lice live on the skin and hair of mammals, where they feed on blood.
• Cuckoos and other bird species: Cuckoo chicks are often raised by other bird species, who feed and care for the chick as if it were their own.
• Brood parasites and ants: Some species of birds lay their eggs in the nests of ants, where the ant workers care for the chick, often at the expense of their own young.

Types of Parasitism

• Endoparasitism: This occurs when the parasite lives inside the host’s body, such as tapeworms in the digestive tract or lice on the skin.
• Ectoparasitism: This occurs when the parasite lives on the surface of the host’s body, such as mosquitoes or ticks.
• Obligate parasitism: This occurs when the parasite is completely dependent on the host for survival, such as tapeworms or lice.
• Facultative parasitism: This occurs when the parasite can survive without the host but benefits from the association, such as mosquitoes or cuckoos.
• Brood parasitism: This occurs when one species lays its eggs in the nest of another species, and the host raises the young as if they were their own, such as cuckoos or cowbirds.
• Mutualism: This is a type of relationship in which both the host and the parasite benefit, such as the relationship between corals and algae.

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By Team Learning Mantras