Parasitism Examples

Examples of parasitism

This innocent looking bird called a cowbird lays her eggs in another birds nest and expects the unsuspecting mom to raise their young. If this bird kicks her eggs out of the nest the cowbird may destroy her nest. This is just one example of parasitism.

Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and another organism is harmed and in some cases may die.
Let’s take a look at examples

Mosquitoes These annoying pests will show up at most picnics and start trying to have a meal at your expense. mosquitoes are carriers, or vectors, for some of humanity’s most deadly illnesses, and they are public enemy number one in the fight against global infectious disease. Mosquito-borne diseases cause millions of deaths worldwide
In a similar fashion, ticks will do the same to you, dogs, livestock. The latch on to their host and start eating. Ticks can infect their host with many diseases including Lyme disease.

Many worms are parasitic.
Leech
A leech is a segmented worm that attaches to a host like you and gets a meal from their blood. They secrete a chemical that actually prevents the blood from clotting.
If present in great numbers on a host, these can be debilitating, and in extreme cases, cause death.

E. coli
There are hundreds of different types, or strains, of the bacteria E. coli (Escherichia coli). Most of these are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But some strains of E. coli make a strong toxin that can cause a severe infection.

Mistletoe This plant you will see high in trees is actually a parasite. Mistletoe will attach to their host tree or shrub and then extract water and nutrients from the host plant.

Albino redweed
An 'albino' redwood is a redwood tree whi....ch is unable to prod and http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/base/e....nvironmental/inrmp/A

Mistletoe
Photograph © Andrew Dunn, 26 December 2004.
Website: http://www.andrewdunnphoto.com/

Albino Redwood
https://commons.wikimedia.org/....wiki/File:Humboldt_R

Parasitoid Wasp
Title: Neoneurus vesculus ovipositing in workers of the ant Formica cunicularia.ogv
Author: Cees van Achterberg, José María Durán
Date: 29 November 2011