Bug's Eye View

Question 1

How does the paraiste view the host?

Answer 1

The host is an island that provides resources and habitat

Question 2

What is life time success measured in terms of?

Answer 2

Fitness

Question 3

What is fitness?

Answer 3

The relative success of the individual in having its genotype passed on to succeeding generations

Question 4

What is fitness determined by?

Answer 4

Survival and

Fecundity

Question 5

4 problems for the parasite?

Answer 5

1. Reach a host
2. Become established in the host
3. Extract enough resources or reproduce
4. Persist in the host long enough to reproduce

Question 6

What does becoming established in the host involve?

Answer 6

Overcoming innate defenses

Question 7

What does persisting in the host long enough to reproduce involve?

Answer 7

Overcoming or evading the aquired defenses

Question 8

Between host and virus which has the advantage and why?

Answer 8

Virus has advantage due to fast turn over of generations which increases possibility of mutation

Question 9

What are the 2 ways in which the host loses resources in a host-parasite relationship?

Answer 9

1. Resources directly taken by the parasites
2. Resources used by the host to defend itself against the parasite

Question 10

What are 2 ways in which parasites have developed ways of extracting resources from host?

Answer 10

Blackmail - Take enough for our purpose but we wont cause life threathening problems

Smash and grab (armed robery) - Take as much resources it can because it doesnt care if the host dies, because death allows for transmission

Question 11

What is often the most important aspect of the ecology of a disease?

Answer 11

Transmission

Question 12

What are 5 ways that parasites have developed to increase their chances of reaching a new host?

Answer 12

1. Massive numbers of offspring in the hope that some will survive
2. Offspring that are extremely resistant and can survive the external environment (anthrax spores)
3. Be transmitted by a route that minimizes exposure to the external environment (vertical transmission)
4. Utilize another host to carry you to another host
5. Modify the host’s behavior to maximize chance of successful transmission (rabies)