Types of Parasitic Symbiosis and Notable Examples
Parasitic symbiosis may be a close and long-term symbiotic interaction between two organisms, where one lives within the body of the host, causing it some harm. Symbiosis definition in biology describes that it is the symbiosis of any living arrangements between two different species, including commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism. Both positive and harmful associations included; such members are called symbionts.
What is The Meaning of Symbiosis?
It is an interaction or close living relationship between organisms from different species. Usually, it benefits one or both of the individuals. Symbiosis is also 'obligate,' within which case the connection between the 2 species is so interdependent. Each of the organisms is unable to survive without the opposite, during which the 2 species engage symbiotic partnership through choice and might survive individually. They are often evolved over an extended period of time. On the other hand, facultative symbiosis could also be more modern, behavioural adaptations; given time, facultative symbiosis may evolve into obligate symbiosis.
Examples of Symbiosis
There are several types of symbiosis to contemplate, which are as follows:
Commensalism
Commensalism may be a style of relationship where one among the organisms benefits greatly from the symbiosis. The opposite is not helped but isn't harmed or damaged from the connection. In other words, this is often a one-sided symbiotic relationship.
Example: The connection between cattle egrets and cattle.
Example: A decapod crustacean taking on residence in an empty seashell.
Parasitism
In parasitism, one organism benefits from the link but at the expense of the opposite. The plant may live inside the other's body or on its surface. In a number of these parasitic relationships, the host dies, and in others, the host must remain alive.
Example: Fleas and mosquitoes take advantage of blood from other organisms.
Example: Aphids
Mutualism
Mutualism could be a close relationship where both parties benefit. Both species will like the link, and plenty of those relationships are long-lasting.
Example: Cleaning symbiosis
Example: The connection between goby fish and shrimp.
Endosymbiosis and Ectosymbiosis
Endosymbiosis is one species living inside another one.
Example: Lice that take advantage of the skin, blood, or oil secretions of the host.
What is Parasitism?
Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship or a long-term relationship between two species. Here one member, the parasite, gains benefits that come at the expense of the host member. The word parasite comes from the Latin variety of the Greek word, meaning "one who eats at the table of another."
Types of Parasitism
There are many varieties of parasitism, and parasites can belong to multiple classifications that support their size, characteristics, and relationship with the host.
Obligate Parasitism
Obligate parasites are entirely obsessed with the host to complete their life cycle. It can be found in many alternative sorts of organisms, like plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Head lice are obligate parasites; if off from the human scalp, they'll soon die.
Facultative Parasitism
Facultative parasites don't depend upon the host to complete their life cycle; they'll survive without the host, and only sometimes perform parasitic activities. Individual plants, fungi, animals, and microbes are often facultative parasites. A selected example is the nematode species Strongyloides stercoralis.
Ectoparasites, Endoparasites, and Mycoparasitism
Ectoparasites are parasites that carry on the skin of the host's body, like lice and ticks. Endoparasites, like nematodes and hookworms, live inside the host. Meso Parasites enter the host's external openings, like the external organ or the cloaca.
Macroparasitism Versus Micro Parasitism
Macroparasites are parasites that are large enough to be seen with the oculus. Microparasites are too small and can be seen under a microscope. They're generally unicellular, like protozoa.
Necrotrophic Versus Biotrophic
Necrotrophic parasites, also called parasitoids, mostly eat a part of the host organism's tissue until it dies from the loss of muscle or nutrient loss. Biotrophic parasites don't do severe enough damage to kill their host; they have to stay the host alive because they can't survive during a dead one.
Monogenic Versus Digenetic
Monogenic parasites complete their life cycle in barely one individual host. Digenetic pests need quite one host to finish their life cycle. Plasmodium, the protozoa that carries malaria, is digenetic. It must be a parasite of both people and mosquitos and complete the cycle.
Epi Parasitism
An epiparasite could be a parasite that parasitizes another organism that's also a parasite. Epiparasites also are called hyperparasites or secondary parasites. One example would be a protozoan living during a flea that's living on a dog.
Social Parasitism
Social parasites benefit from social insects like ants, bees, and termites. They will use mimicry to invade the hive. Some bumble bees invade the colonies of other species of bees, making that species raise the parasite's young.
Brood Parasitism
Brood parasitism involves the raising of the young. Bird species that practice brood parasitism, including cowbirds and cuckoos, lay their eggs in another species' nest rather than building their nests. It is often a sort of dependency because the species which lay their eggs in other nests gain benefits while the different species are harmed.
FAQs on What Is Parasitic Symbiosis?
1. What is parasitic symbiosis?
Parasitic symbiosis, or parasitism, is a type of ecological relationship where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host. In this interaction, the parasite benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense, which is harmed as a result. This relationship is non-mutual and is a key concept in population interactions studied in biology.
2. What are some common examples of parasitic relationships in animals?
There are numerous examples of parasitic relationships in the animal kingdom. Some common ones include:
- Lice on humans: These are ectoparasites that live on the scalp and feed on human blood.
- Ticks on dogs: Ticks attach to a dog's skin and feed on its blood, potentially transmitting diseases.
- Tapeworms in the human intestine: These are endoparasites that absorb digested food from the host's intestine.
- Copepods on marine fish: These tiny crustaceans attach to the gills or skin of fish to feed.
3. Are there examples of parasitic symbiosis in plants?
Yes, parasitism is also common in the plant kingdom. A classic example is the Cuscuta (dodder) plant. Cuscuta is a parasitic plant that has lost its chlorophyll and leaves during evolution. It attaches to a host plant, often a hedge or shrub, and uses its specialised structures called haustoria to absorb water and nutrients directly from the host plant's vascular system, thereby harming it.
4. What is the difference between an ectoparasite and an endoparasite?
The main difference lies in where the parasite lives in relation to its host.
- Ectoparasites are organisms that live on the external surface of the host's body. Examples include lice on humans and ticks on dogs.
- Endoparasites are organisms that live inside the host's body, in locations like the intestine, liver, or lungs. Examples include tapeworms, the human liver fluke, and the malarial parasite (Plasmodium).
5. What is brood parasitism and how is it an example of parasitism?
Brood parasitism is a fascinating form of parasitic behaviour found in some birds. In this relationship, the parasitic bird, such as the Cuckoo (Koel), lays its eggs in the nest of another bird, the host, such as a Crow. The host bird then unknowingly incubates the eggs and raises the parasitic bird's young as its own. This is a form of parasitism because the Cuckoo benefits by having its young raised with no parental investment, while the host crow's own offspring often receive fewer resources or are killed by the cuckoo chick, thus harming the host's reproductive success.
6. Why do many successful parasites evolve to not kill their host?
From an evolutionary perspective, a parasite's primary goal is to survive and reproduce. If a parasite kills its host too quickly, it risks dying along with it or failing to complete its life cycle and spread to a new host. Therefore, a successful parasite is one that can exploit the host for resources over a longer period. An ideal parasitic relationship for the parasite is one where the host remains alive and functional enough to support the parasite's needs, ensuring its own survival and transmission.
7. What are some special adaptations that parasites have developed for their lifestyle?
Parasites exhibit remarkable adaptations to thrive in their specific environments. According to the CBSE syllabus, key adaptations include:
- Loss of unnecessary organs: Many endoparasites have lost their digestive systems because they absorb pre-digested food directly from the host.
- Presence of adhesive organs: They often possess suckers or hooks to cling onto the host's body, preventing dislodgement.
- High reproductive capacity: Parasites produce a vast number of offspring to increase the chances of their progeny finding a new host.
- Complex life cycles: Some parasites, like the human liver fluke, use two or more intermediate hosts to complete their life cycle and facilitate their spread.
