264 results found

Search Results for: host

Intermediate host

Intermediate Host Definition When looking at the relationships amongst different biological members of our biosphere, we... Read More

Reservoir host

Reservoir Host Definition A reservoir host is a host that harbors the pathogen and serves as a source of the infective... Read More

Definitive host

Different Biological Relationships The biological world is interconnected whether we notice it or not. All the life forms... Read More

Host cell

Host Cells Definition What is a host cell? A host cell is a living cell that serves as a shelter and a food source to the... Read More

Obligate parasite

Parasitism is a form of symbiosis that occurs between a parasite and its host. The parasite is the organism that generally... Read More

Parasitism

Organisms depend on different sources of food to survive. Larger organisms like plants make their own food (autotrophs) and... Read More

Symbiosis

Symbiosis Definition What is symbiosis? Symbiosis can be defined as any kind of relationship or interaction between two... Read More

Pathogen

What are Pathogens? Pathogens are defined as microscopic organisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites that... Read More

Virulence

Virulence Definition In biology, virulence is defined as the degree to which a pathogenic organism can cause disease. A... Read More

Paratenic host

Definition noun, plural: paratenic hosts An intermediate host which is not needed for the development of the parasite, but... Read More

Biological Viruses

The prime directive of all organisms is to reproduce and survive and this also applies to viruses. Apparently, viruses are... Read More

Commensalism

Commensalism Definition What is commensalism? Literally, commensalism is a Latin word that means ‘to eat at the same... Read More

Final host

Definition noun, plural: final hosts A definitive host Compare:intermediate hostSee also:host Mentioned in: Cystacanth... Read More

Opportunistic pathogen

Opportunistic Pathogen Definition How do we define opportunistic pathogen? The opportunistic pathogen is an infectious... Read More

Host

Host An organism that is infected with or is fed upon by a parasitic or pathogenic organism (for example, a virus, nematode,... Read More

Dead-end host

Dead-end host a host from which infectious agents are not transmitted to other susceptible... Read More

Amplifier host

Amplifier host a host in which infectious agents multiply rapidly to high levels, providing an important source of infection... Read More

Coccidia

Coccidia (singular: coccidium) are sporozoans that live as parasites of the digestive tracts of certain animals. The... Read More

Parasite

Definition noun, plural: parasites An organism that obtains nourishment and shelter on another... Read More

Parasitoid

Definition noun, plural: parasitoids An organism that lives on or inside the host at one phase in its life cycle, and... Read More

Naked virus

Viruses are infectious entities with size ranges between 20 to 400 nanometers. The mammoth-sized virus would be about the... Read More

Infective stage

Definition noun (parasitology) The stage in the life cycle of an endoparasite wherein it can initiate infection to its... Read More

Endoparasite

Definition noun, plural: endoparasites (parasitology) A parasite that lives within the body of the... Read More

Density dependent factor

Density-dependent factors are the limiting factors of an ecosystem that regulate population growth in a density-dependent... Read More

Incubation period

Incubation Period Definition The incubation period is the time duration between exposure to the pathogen and the appearance... Read More

Strangler

Definition noun, plural: stranglers (botany) A hemiepiphyte or epiphyte that grows when seed germinates at the canopy of the... Read More

Accidental host

Accidental host One that harbors an organism which usually does not infect... Read More

Parasitoidism

Definition noun A form of parasitism wherein an organism (called parasitoid) lives on or inside the host at one phase in its... Read More

Ectoparasite

Definition noun, plural: ectoparasites (parasitology) A parasite that lives outside the body of the... Read More

Ectoparasitism

Definition noun A form of parasitism wherein the parasite lives outside the body of the host (as opposed to a parasite... Read More

Cell adhesion

Cell Adhesion Definition Cell adhesion is the process in which a cell uses a specialized complex of proteins to get... Read More

“Mutualism factor” could explain why body does not attack normal flora

When sadness reeks in and you feel as if you are all by yourself, think again. That is because you are never alone. As a... Read More

Herbivore

Herbivore Definition A herbivore is the primary consumer of the food chain that usually occupies the second trophic level... Read More

Subcutaneous filariasis

Definition noun A type of filariasis caused by adult filarial worms that dwell in the subcutaneous layer of the... Read More

Protist

Protist Definition What is a protist? All protists are eukaryotes, i.e. organisms with a nucleus. However, they are... Read More

Indirect life cycle

Definition noun A type of parasitic life cycle wherein the parasite is transmitted indirectly from one host to the next,... Read More

Susceptible

Resistance, vulnerability, sensitivity, tolerance, and susceptibility are some highly important terminologies across the... Read More

Filarioidea

Definition noun (taxonomy) A superfamily of the phylum Nematoda and is comprised of small, threadlike parasitic nematodes... Read More

Vector

Vector Definition When one thinks of vectors one may think of many different things. This is because a vector can be... Read More

Endosymbiotic theory

A eukaryotic cell is distinct from a prokaryotic cell by the presence of membrane-bound cellular structures called... Read More