Intro Flashcards
define parasitology
Area of biology concerned with the dependence of one organism on another (host and parasite)
- animals, humans, plants
clinical or medical parasitology definition
Branch of parasitology dealing with animal parasites of humans
definitive hosts
adult, sexual multiplication
intermediate host
larval stage, asexual multiplication
what is a vector?
invertebrate organism that spreads infection by transporting parasite pathogens from one host to another
two types of vectors
- mechanical: transports a parasite from one host to another without any changes
- biological: transports from one host to another, and also supports the parasite’s life cycle or multiplictation
endoparasites
lives inside hosts
ectoparasites
lives on surface of the body of the host
biologic incubation period
- aka prepatent period
- period bw parasitic entry into host and its appearance in host tissues/fluids (blood, feces, etc.)
clinical incubation period
period between parasite entry into host and occurrence of symptoms
protozoan
- multiplies within host
- can be intracellular (Leishmania or malaria) OR extracellular (intestinal protozoa)
- continuous antigenic stimulation as infection progresses
- positive correlation bw clinical symptoms and serological or immune manifestation
- acquisition of immunity critical to host survival
metazoan
- do not multiply within host
- extracellular existence
- little or no effect on host response (helminths)
- majority of infections are light, asymptomatic in nonimmune host (pinworm, ascaris, etc.)