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I'm a great believer in luck, and I find

the harder I work the more I have of it.

Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

 INTRODUCTION
• Parasitology is the branch of biological
science which deals with the parasites and
their hosts.

• This discipline includes several approaches

to the study of parasitic organism; such as,
phylogeny, morphology, ecology,
epidemiology, life history, physiology,
chemotherapy, serology, immunology, and
biochemistry.
 ANIMAL ASSOCIATION

• Parasitism: Parasitism is a condition of

life, normal and necessary for an organism
which lives on or in a larger organism
belongs to different species and that
nourishes itself at the expense of the larger
organism (Host) by inflicting some degree
of injury to the host.
• Example: Neoascaris vitulorum in calves.
 MUTUALISM
• Mutualism is a condition of life in which the
both partners benefit from the association
and the relationship is not obligatory.
• Example: Small fish of several families,
feed on small organisms and
parasites on the bodies of larger fish.
Small fish get food and the larger fish
are relieved of unwelcome guests on
their bodies.
 SYMBIOSIS
• Symbiotic relationships include those
associations in which one organism lives on
another and get benefited. Symbiotic
relationships must be obligate i.e., necessary
for the survival of the organisms involved.

• Example: Relationship between cattle and

bacteria within their intestines. The cattle
benefit from the cellulase produced by the
bacteria, which facilitates digestion; the
bacteria benefit from having a stable supply
of nutrients in the host environment.
 COMMENSALISM
• Commensalism is the condition in which the
commensal, benefits from its relationship with the
host, but the host is neither benefited nor is
harmed.
• Example: cattle egrets foraging in fields among cattle or
other livestock. As livestock graze on the field, they cause
movements that stir up various insects. As the insects are
stirred up, the cattle egrets following the livestock catch
and feed upon them. The egrets benefit from this
relationship because the livestock have helped them find
their meals, while the livestock are typically unaffected by
it.
• Predation: Predation is a short term relationship
in which larger species (the predator) benefits at
the expense of the other organism (smaller one),
the prey.
• Example: Tiger (the predator) kills the deer
(prey) and does not subsist on it while it is alive.
• Phoresis: Phoresis means “to carry”. This term
is applicable to two organisms which are merely
traveling together and neither is physiologically
dependent on each others.
• Usually the phoront is smaller than the other and
is mechanically carried in or on the larger
species (host).
 PARASITE
• The term “Parasite” refers to an organism
which is metabolically dependent on another
larger organism belongs to different species.
• According to V. A. Dogiel stresses “Parasites
are those animals which use other living
animals as their environment and source of
food at the same time relinquishing to their
hosts, partly or completely, the task of
regulating their relationship with the external
environment”.
 Classification of parasites
• Ectoparasites: The parasites that are attached to
the outer surface of their hosts or superficially
embedded in the body surface are called
ectoparasites. e.g. Tick, Lice, Mite
• Endoparasites: When the parasites live inside the
body of their host are called endoparasites. e.g.
Hook worm of man.
• Facultative parasites: The parasite which has
retained the power of independent non- parasitic
life, but may become parasitic under certain
circumstances are known as Facultative parasites.
e.g. Maggots of blow flies
• Obligatory parasites: The parasites which have
become fully dependent on parasitic life and
cannot survive apart from their hosts are known
as Obligatory parasites. e. g Tape worm of man.
• Permanent parasite: When an organism is
parasitic in the body of the host from early life
until maturity or sometimes the entire life, is
known as permanent parasite. e.g. Fasciola
gigantica.
• Temporary Parasites: When an organism is
parasitic only during a part of its life cycle, is
known as temporary parasite. eg. Tick, Lice.
• Periodic Parasite: Parasites which visit their
host only at the time when need food are
called Periodic parasites. e g Mosquito
• Accidental/ Incidental parasites: When a
parasite establishes itself in the body of a host
in which it does not live is known as
Accidental/Incidental parasite. e.g.
Mecistocirrus digitatus in goat.
• Aberrant parasite: Parasites which follow an
unusual route of migration in their host’s
bodies and usually become encapsulated and
die are called Aberrant parasites e.g. Any
parasite
• Stenoxenous parasite: The parasite which has
a narrow host range is known as stenoxenous
parasite. e g. Eimeria bovis can infect cattle
only.
• Euryxenous parasite: The parasite which has
a large/wide host range is known as euryxenous
parasite. e g. Trichostrongylus axei can infect
cattle, sheep, goat, horse, rabbit, man etc
• Hyperparasite: A hyperparasite is an organism
which parasitizes another parasites.
e.g.Nosema dollfusi (protozoa) is a
hyperparasite of the larval stage of flatworm,
Bucephalus cuculus, which in turn, is a parasite
of American oyster.
 HOST
• Host is defined as an organism which is
physiologically larger than a parasite, belongs to a
different species and provides protection and
supply nourishment to the parasites. e.g. Cattle is
the definite host of Fasciola sp.
Classification of Host: Hosts are classified
as follows
• Final/Definite host: The host in which parasite
reaches its sexual maturity and reproduces itself is
known as final/ definite host. Eg. Moniezia expansa
in goat.
• Intermediate host: The host which harbours the
larval stage of parasites for development but not
to reach sexual maturity is known as
intermediate host.
Example: Snail (Lymnea auricularia) is the
intermediate host of Fasciola gigantica.
• Paratenic or transport host: When the
infective stage of a parasite enters the body of a
host and does not undergo any development but
continues to stay alive and be infective to a
definite host is known as paratenic or transport
host.
• Example: Eathworm (Lambricus sp.) acts as a
paratenic host of Ascaridia galli
• Reservoir host or Carrier host: When a
host harbours a parasite until its sexual
maturity but tolerate the infection of the
parasite which is specially harmful to
another animal is called Reservoir or
Carrier host.
• Example: Dog acts as reservoir host of
Entomoeba sp of man
 Vector
• Vector may be defined as an arthropod,
mollusk or other agents that transmit
disease or parasites from one vertebrate
host to another.
Example: Anopheles sp is the vector of
Malaria.
Vector may be biological or mechanical
THANKS
The important thing is not to stop
questioning.
Albert Einstein