![]() History Cyst and imago of Giardia lamblia, the protozoan parasite that causes giardiasis. Recent developments in using DNA to identify separate species and to investigate the relationship between groups at various taxonomic scales has been enormously useful to parasitologists, as many parasites are highly degenerate, disguising relationships between species. The huge diversity between parasitic organisms creates a challenge for biologists who wish to describe and catalogue them. A large proportion of parasite species are threatened by extinction, partly due to efforts to eradicate parasites which infect humans or domestic animals, or damage human economy, but also caused by the decline or fragmentation of host populations and the extinction of host species. Main article: Conservation biology of parasitesĬonservation biology is concerned with the protection and preservation of vulnerable species, including parasites. Understanding these aspects of parasite ecology, of interest in their own right, can illuminate parasite-avoidance strategies employed by hosts.Ĭonservation biology of parasites Additionally, parasites possess a variety of specialized traits and life-history strategies that enable them to colonize hosts. In fisheries biology, for example, parasite communities can be used to distinguish distinct populations of the same fish species co-inhabiting a region. Parasites can provide information about host population ecology. This feature forces parasitologists to use advanced biostatistical methodologies. ![]() Parasites exhibit an aggregated distribution among host individuals, thus the majority of parasites live in the minority of hosts. In addition, protein structures may inform the process of drug discovery. Determination of parasitic protein structures may help to better understand how these proteins function differently from homologous proteins in humans. This is the study of structures of proteins from parasites. Medical parasitology can involve drug development, epidemiological studies and study of zoonoses. Ectoparasites such as ticks, scabies and lice.Multicellular organisms and intestinal worms ( helminths) such as Schistosoma spp., Wuchereria bancrofti, Necator americanus (hookworm) and Taenia spp.Entamoeba and Giardia, which cause intestinal infections (dysentery and diarrhoea).Leishmania, unicellular organisms which cause leishmaniasis. ![]() The four species infective to humans are P.
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