Parasitology Glossary Flashcards
Obligatory parasites
Has to be parasitic for at least part of its life cycle
Facultative parasite
Can be parasitic but is not essential for completion of lifecycle - blow fly
Temporary parasite
Only visits animal to feed
Larva
An immature stage, morphologically dissimilar to the adult form
Nymph
An immature stage, morphologically similar to the adult form
Embryonated egg
An egg containing a fully formed larva
Parthenogenesis
The production of fertile eggs by a female that has not mated
Final host
The host in which sexual reproduction takes place
Paratenic host
The parasite enters host but no development takes place. Often the parasite is waiting to be eaten by an intermediate or final host - toxocara cati in a mouse.
Direct life cycle
No intermediate host required
Indirect life cycle
An intermediate host is required
Predilection site
Site or tissue in which the parasite establishes
Prepatent period
The time from the initial infection to the appearance of eggs
Parasitaemia
Parasites in the blood
Bionomics
The influence of environment (temp etc) on the development of free living life cycle stages
Hypobiosis
When a parasite enters a arrested or dormant stage within a host
veterinary entomology
Study of insects of veterinary important (flies, fleas and lice)
