obligate parasite
Cannot survive independently
An obligate parasite is an organism that cannot complete its life cycle without a host—it depends entirely on another living creature for survival and reproduction.
This distinguishes it from facultative parasites, which can live independently but may parasitize when opportunity arises.
Viruses are the classic example, as they cannot replicate outside host cells.
The fungus is an obligate parasite of wheat and cannot be cultured in the laboratory.
- host cellCell invaded by pathogen
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
- lifecycleStages from beginning to end
- vectorQuantity with direction
transmission · feeding · dependent · survival · tick · blood meal · tapeworm · malaria · blood · attachment · intracellular · life cycle · virulent · exploit · drain · living off · leech · hookworm
- licehead louse, head lice, body louse, body lice, crab lice
- host-parasitehost cell, human host
- plant parasitesmistletoe, dodder, broomrape, witchweed, rafflesia
- fungal ecologymycelium, mycorrhizae, decomposers, soil fungi, fungal networks
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