Parasitology course Teacher Irene RICCI, PhD
School of Biosciences and Biotechnology University of Camerino
Biosciences & Biotechnologies (III year)
2013-2014
1. Because parasites are among the most amazing beings that inhabit our planet ...they are so perfect, likely coming from the space!
2. Because sometimes parasites can be very sexy!
3. Because the world is full of parasites and it is important learning how to defend ourselves (seize the metaphorical sense of this statement, if you like).
4. Because the interaction between parasite and host is an exceptional biological model (and social model), from which many lessons can be drawn.
5. Because parasitology helps to compose the big and extraordinary puzzle of biology.
Parasites are among the most amazing beings that inhabit our planet ...
I'll tell you the story of a cunning parasite that made an ant mad ...
she is still attached to a blade of grass!
The males are shorter and fatter than the females, and have a ventral groove (gynecophoric canal) along their body into which the female can fit.
The world is full of parasites and it is important learning how to defend ourselves ...
Parasitic diseases can affect practically all
living organisms, including plants and mammals. This is a short List of human parasitic diseases:
Acanthamoeba, keratitis, Amoebiasis, Ascariasis, Babesiosis, Balantidiasis, Baylisascariasis, Chagas disease, Clonorchiasis, Cochliomyia, Cryptosporidiosis, Diphyllobothriasis, Dracunculiasis, Echinococcosis, Elephantiasis, Enterobiasis, Fascioliasis, Fasciolopsiasis, Filariasis, Giardiasis, Gnathostomiasis, Hymenolepiasis, Isosporiasis, Katayama fever, Leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, Malaria, Metagonimiasis, Myiasis, Onchocerciasis, Pediculosis, Scabies, Schistosomiasis, Sleeping sickness, Strongyloidiasis, Taeniasis, Toxocariasis, Toxoplasmosis, Trichinosis, Trichuriasis.
The interaction between parasite and
host is an exceptional biological model (social model!!), from which many lessons of life can be drawn.
• As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life.
• Parasitology is the study of the relationship between parasites and their hosts.
Parasitology helps to compose the big puzzle of biology...
• This means it forms a synthesis of other disciplines such as cell biology, bio-informatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, evolution and ecology.