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AH Biology > Parasite Niche, Transmission and Virulence > Flashcards

Parasite Niche, Transmission and Virulence Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a parasite?

A

A symbiont that gains benefit in terms of nutrients at the expense of it’s hosts

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2
Q

Define ‘ecological niche’

A

Multidimensional summary of tolerances and requirements of a species

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3
Q

What does the ecological niche consider?

A

Abiotic factors (eg. temperature, salinity, pollution) and Biotic interactions (eg. predator-prey interactions, competition)

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4
Q

What is the fundamental niche of a species?

A

Set of resources that it is capable of using in the absence of any interspecific competition

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5
Q

What is the realised niche of a species?

A

Set of resources that a species actually uses in response to the presence of interspecific competition

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6
Q

Describe the Competitive Exclusion principle

A

When two species are competing, their realised niches may be too similar, and one of the species will out-compete the other, leading to competitive exclusion

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7
Q

What is resource partitioning?

A

When two species are competing and have different enough realised niches for them to co-exist then the species exploit different components of the same resource, reducing competition

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8
Q

Give an example of a species that takes part in resource partitioning

A

Wading birds

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9
Q

Give an example of an ectoparasite

A

Ticks, lice

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10
Q

What are ectoparasites?

A

Parasites that live and feed on the surface of their host

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11
Q

Give an example of an endoparasite

A

Tapeworm, Plamodium

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12
Q

What are endoparasites?

A

Parasites that live and feed within their host

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13
Q

Who has the bigger reproductive potential, the parasite or the host?

A

Parasite

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14
Q

What is a degenerative parasite?

A

Parasite that lacks structures and organs found in other organisms

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15
Q

Give an example of a degenerative parasite

A

A tapeworm

Lacks digestive system

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16
Q

In what host does the parasite reach sexual maturity?

A

Definitive Host

17
Q

What is the intermediate host?

A

One in which the developmental stages of a parasite’s lifecycle occur

18
Q

What is the name for a species that plays an active part in the transmission of a parasite?

A

Vectors

19
Q

What is virulence, in relation to parasites?

A

The harm that a parasite causes to a host species

20
Q

State the two evolutionary stable strategies in relation to transmission and virulence

A

Low transmission, low virulence

High transmission, high virulence

21
Q

Why is high virulence, low transmission not an evolutionary stable strategy?

A

The parasite will not be transmitted sufficiently well to find new hosts and will die out

22
Q

Why is the high transmission, low virulence strategy not evolutionary stable?

A

Will be out-competed by a more virulent strain

23
Q

What transmission/virulence strategy does the common cold, rhinovirus use?

A

Low transmission, low virulence

24
Q

What are the three factors that increase transmission rates?

A
  1. High Population Density
  2. Use of Vectors
  3. Water borne dispersal stages
25
Q

How does high population density increase transmission rates?

A

If hosts habitat is overcrowded, increases the chance of transmission by direct contact/ droplets

26
Q

What is the extended phenotype of a parasite?

A

When the parasite modifies the hosts behaviour

27
Q

What are the five categories of modifying host behaviour?

A 
Host foraging
Movement
Sexual Behaviour
Habitat Choice
Anti-predator behaviour
28
Q

What is the advantage of a sexual phase in a parasite?

A

Produces genetic variation and so allows the rapid evolution needed in the Red Queen’s race between parasite and host

29
Q

What is an advantage of an asexual phase in a parasite?

A

Rapid build up of a parasite population for dispersal into the next host

30
Q

What are the three factors that increase virulence?

A
  1. Suppress the host immune system
  2. Modify the size of the host
  3. Reduce the host’s reproductive rate
31
Q

How does suppressing the host immune system increase virulence?

A

Allows parasites to survive and reproduce in the host without being attacked by the host’s defences

32
Q

How does modifying the host’s size increase virulence?

A

Grows much larger so can support the asexual reproduction of more parasites

33
Q

How does reducing the host’s reproductive rate increase virulence?

A

More of the host’s energy can be directed to parasite reproduction

34
Q

What may cause a difference in host infection rates between members of the same population?

A

Sex
Age
Genotype
Behaviour

AH Biology (17 decks)

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