parasitology
Studying freeloading creatures
Parasitology is the scientific study of parasites—organisms that live on or in other organisms at the host's expense.
The field examines parasitic worms, protozoa, and arthropods, focusing on their biology, life cycles, and the diseases they cause: She specialized in parasitology after working on malaria transmission.
Pathogen invasion causing illness
- hostOne receiving guests
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- infestationPest takeover situation
- vectorQuantity with direction
transmission · lifecycle · reservoir · zoonosis · pathogenesis · virulence · vector-borne · fecal-oral
Study of disease spread
- immunologyScience of bodily defenses
- entomologyStudy of insects
- protozoologyStudy of single-celled organisms
- molecular biologyStudy of cellular machinery
genomics · vaccine development · drug discovery · field studies · prevalence · incidence · endemic · tropical medicine
Endoparasitic worm organisms
- protozoaSingle-celled eukaryotic organisms
- ectoparasitesParasites inhabiting host surfaces
- nematodesCylindrical unsegmented worms
- plasmodiumMultinucleate protoplasmic mass
giardia · hookworms · tapeworms · roundworms · flukes · lice · ticks · mites
Two-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- endoparasiteParasite living inside host
- ectoparasiteOrganism feeding on host externally
Mosquito-borne parasitic infection
- leishmaniasisSandfly-transmitted parasitic disease
- giardiasisProtozoan intestinal infection
- toxoplasmosisParasitic infection from cats
- trichinosisParasitic worm infection
elephantiasis · river blindness · sleeping sickness · pediculosis · scabies
Drug preventing tropical fever
- ivermectinAntiparasitic medication for worms
- metronidazoleAntiparasitic and antibacterial medication
- chloroquineAntimalarial medication
- drug resistanceReduced medication responsiveness
combination therapy · prophylaxis · deworming · chemotherapy · eradication
Technique using powerful lenses
- blood smearThin layer for microscopy
- serologyStudy of blood antibodies
- PCRDNA amplification technique
- biopsyTissue sample for diagnosis
infection
Pathogen invasion causing illness
- hostOne receiving guests
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- infestationPest takeover situation
vector · transmission · lifecycle · reservoir · zoonosis · pathogenesis · virulence · vector-borne · fecal-oral · bloodborne
epidemiology
Study of disease spread
- immunologyScience of bodily defenses
- entomologyStudy of insects
- protozoologyStudy of single-celled organisms
molecular biology · genomics · vaccine development · drug discovery · field studies · prevalence · incidence · endemic · tropical medicine · public health
helminths
Endoparasitic worm organisms
- protozoaSingle-celled eukaryotic organisms
- ectoparasitesParasites inhabiting host surfaces
- nematodesCylindrical unsegmented worms
plasmodium · giardia · hookworms · tapeworms · roundworms · flukes · lice · ticks · mites · fleas
mutualism
Two-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- endoparasiteParasite living inside host
malaria
Mosquito-borne parasitic infection
- leishmaniasisSandfly-transmitted parasitic disease
- giardiasisProtozoan intestinal infection
- toxoplasmosisParasitic infection from cats
trichinosis · elephantiasis · river blindness · sleeping sickness · pediculosis · scabies
antimalarial
Drug preventing tropical fever
- ivermectinAntiparasitic medication for worms
- metronidazoleAntiparasitic and antibacterial medication
- chloroquineAntimalarial medication
drug resistance · combination therapy · prophylaxis · deworming · chemotherapy · eradication
microscopy
Technique using powerful lenses
- blood smearThin layer for microscopy
- serologyStudy of blood antibodies
- PCRDNA amplification technique
- biologycells, DNA, cell, biology, gene
- sciencesbiology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology
- Biomedicineanatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, immunology
- life sciencesbiology, medicine, botany, genetics, ecology
- microbiologybacteria, bacterium, microbe, microbes, microorganisms
- lab sciencebiology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, biochemistry