Parasitology
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2008-05-15T15:15:10Z
Dreadstar
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/68.16.245.116|68.16.245.116]] ([[User talk:68.16.245.116|talk]]) to last version by ClueBot
[[Image:Black fly.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Adult [[black fly]] (Simulium yahense) with ([[Onchocerca volvulus]]) emerging from the insect's antenna. The parasite is responsible for the disease known as River Blindness in Africa. Sample was chemically fixed and critical point dried, then observed using conventional scanning electron microscopy. Magnified 100X.]]
'''Parasitology''' is the study of [[parasite]]s, their [[host (biology)|host]]s, and the relationship between them. As a [[List of biology disciplines|biological discipline]], the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life. This means it forms a synthesis of other disciplines, and draws on techniques from fields such as [[cell biology]], [[bioinformatics]], [[biochemistry]], [[molecular biology]], [[immunology]], [[genetics]], [[evolution]] and [[ecology]].
The [[parasite|parasitic]] mode of life is the most common on the planet{{Fact|date=June 2007}}, with representatives from all major [[taxa]], from the [[Plasmodium|simplest unicellular organisms]] to [[Candirú|complex vertebrates]]. Every free-living species has its own unique species of parasite{{Fact|date=June 2007}}, so the number of parasitic species greatly exceeds the number of free living species.
==Fields==
The study of these diverse [[organism]]s means that the subject is often broken up into simpler, more focused units, which use common techniques, even if they are not studying the same organisms or diseases. Much research in parasitology falls somewhere between two or more of these definitions. In general, the study of [[prokaryote]]s fall under the field of [[bacteriology]] rather than parasitology.
===Medical parasitology===
One of the largest fields in parasitology, medical parasitology is the study of those parasites which infect humans. These include organisms such as:
* ''[[Plasmodium]]'' spp., the unicellular organism which causes [[malaria]]. Four different subtypes of malaria are Pl.falciparum,Pl.malariae, Pl.vivax & Pl.ovale.
* ''Leishmania donovani'', the unicellular organism which causes [[leishmaniasis]]
* multicellular organisms such as ''[[Schistosoma]]'' spp., ''[[Wuchereria bancrofti]]'' and ''[[Hookworm|Necator americanus]]''
Medical parasitology can involve [[medication|drug]] development, [[epidemiology|epidimiological]] studies and study of [[Zoonosis|zoonoses]].
===Veterinary parasitology===
{{main|Veterinary parasitology}}
The study of parasites which cause economic losses in [[agriculture]] or [[aquaculture]] operations, or which infect [[companion animal]]s. Examples of species studied are:
* ''[[Lucilia sericata]]'', a [[blowfly]], which lays eggs on the skins of farm animals. The [[maggot]]s hatch and burrow into the flesh, distressing the animal and causing economic loss to the farmer
* ''Otodectes cynotis'', the [[cat]] [[ear mite]], responsible for Canker.
* ''Gyrodactylus salaris'', a [[monogenea]]n parasite of [[salmon]], which can wipe out populations which are not resistant.
amphistomes
===Quantitative parasitology===
{{main|Quantitative parasitology}}
Parasites exhibit an aggregated distribution among host individuals, thus the majority of parasites live in the minority of hosts. This feature forces parasitologist to use advanced biostatistical methodologies.
===Structural parasitology===
{{main|Structural parasitology}}
This is the study of structures of proteins from parasites. Determination of parasitic protein structures may help to better understand how these proteins function differently from [[homologous proteins]] in humans. In addition, protein structures may inform the process of [[drug discovery]].
===Parasite ecology===
Parasites can provide information about host population ecology. In [[fishery|fisheries biology]], for example, parasite communities can be used to distinguish distinct populations of the same fish species co-inhabiting a region. Additionally, parasites possess a variety of specialized traits and life-history strategies that enable them to colonize hosts. Understanding these aspects of parasite ecology, of interest in their own right, can illuminate parasite-avoidance strategies employed by hosts.
===Taxonomy and phylogenetics===
The huge diversity within the parasitic animals creates a challenge for biologists to describe and catalogue them. Recent developments in using [[DNA]] to identify separate species and to investigate the relationship between groups at various [[taxonomy|taxonomic]] scales has been enormously useful to parasitologists, as many parasites are highly [[Degeneracy|degenerate]], disguising relationships between species.
==See also==
*[[List of publications in biology#Parasitology|Important publications in parasitology]]
*[[:Category:Parasitologists|Parasitologists]]
==External links==
*[http://media.med.sc.edu/microbiology2007/ Online lectures in parasitology] University of South Carolina
*[http://asp.unl.edu American Society of Parasitologists]
*[http://www.parasite.org.au/arcnet ARC-NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology]
*[http://www.parasite.org.au Australian Society for Parasitology]
*[http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/ibls/II/parasitology/ British Society for Parasitology]
*[http://www.ips.ioz.ac.cn/Parasitologye.htm Chinese Society of Parasitology]
*[http://www.parazitologie.cz Czech Society for Parasitology]
*[http://www.parazitak.hu Hungarian Society of Parasitologists]
*[http://www.parasitologyindia.org Indian Society of Parasitology]
*[http://parasitology-soc.md.huji.ac.il/ Israel Society for Parasitology, Protozoology and Tropical Diseases]
*[http://jsp.tm.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/~parasite/ Japanese Society of Parasitology]
*[http://www.parasitol.or.kr/eng/ Korean Society for Parasitology]
*[http://www.parasitologie.nl Nederlandse Vereniging voor Parasitologie]
*[http://nzsp.rsnz.govt.nz/ New Zealand Society for Parasitology]
*[http://www.hi.is/pub/sbsp/ Scandinavian and Baltic Societies for Parasitology]
*[http://www.e-parasite.com e-Parasite - Parasitologists Online Community]
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