Parasitology Vocabulary

Question 1

Symbiosis

Answer 1

two different types of organisms living together

Question 2

Mutualism

Answer 2

two organisms of different species live in a relationship where both benefit

Question 3

Commensalism

Answer 3

relationship where one organism benefits and the other does not, but is not harmed

Question 4

Parasitism

Answer 4

a relationship in which one organism lives off another (host) and causes harm to the host

Question 5

Host

Answer 5

any organism that supports another organism

Question 6

Definitive host (Kingdom Protista)

Answer 6

the host in which the parasite undergoes sexual reproduction

Question 7

Definitive host (Kingdom Animalia)

Answer 7

the host in which the adult worm is found

Question 8

Intermediate host (Kingdom Protista)

Answer 8

the host in which the parasite undergoes asexual reproduction

Question 9

Intermediate host (Kingdom Animalia)

Answer 9

the host in which the juvenile form of the worm is found

Question 10

Reservoir host

Answer 10

infected organism (usually an animal) which makes the parasite available for transmission to other hosts

Question 11

Ectoparasite

Answer 11

a parasite that lives on the outer surface of the host; ticks, lice, fleas

Question 12

Endoparasite

Answer 12

a parasite that lives inside the host; tapeworm, Giardia, Plasmodium

Question 13

Biological vector

Answer 13

an organism in which the parasite undergoes part of its lifecycle and then transmits the parasite to another organism; female ANOPHELES mosquito

Question 14

Mechanical vector

Answer 14

an organism that transmits a parasite, but is not part of the parasites life cycle, for example flies, roaches, rodents

Question 15

Hermaphrodite

Answer 15

animal that has both male and female reproductive organs

Question 16

cyst

Answer 16

spore like stage of protozoa; thick wall-resistant to unfavorable environment

Question 17

trophozoite

Answer 17

active, motile, feeding stage of protozoa

Question 18

oocyst

Answer 18

cyst form in genus PLASMODIUM, CRYPTOSPORIDIUM and TOXOPLASMA

Question 19

Nematodes

Answer 19

round worms, such as ASCARIS and ENTEROBIUS, and hookworms

Question 20

Microfilariae

Answer 20

thread-like roundworm

Question 21

larva plural is larvae

Answer 21

juvenile form of a worm

Question 22

ova

Answer 22

egg

Question 23

platyhelminthes

Answer 23

flat worms, such as trematodes (flukes) and cestodes (tapeworms)

Question 24

Cysticerci

Answer 24

larval stage of tapeworms, containing a single scolex within a thin walled bladder

Question 25

Cercaria

Answer 25

free swimming larval stage of trematodes (flukes)

Question 26

Metacercaria

Answer 26

encysted stage of flukes