Parasitism is a type of relationship in biology where one organism benefits while the other is harmed.
It is a form of interaction studied in Parasitology.
🪱 What it means
In parasitism:
- The parasite lives on or inside another organism
- The host is the organism that gets harmed
👉 The parasite gets food or shelter
👉 The host gets weakened or injured
🧠 Simple examples
🦟 1. Mosquito and humans
- Mosquito feeds on human blood
- Human may get itchy bite or disease
🪱 2. Tapeworm in intestines
- Lives inside human intestines
- Absorbs nutrients from food
🪳 3. Lice on humans
- Live on scalp and feed on blood
- Cause itching and irritation
🌿 4. Cuscuta (dodder plant)
- A plant parasite that attaches to other plants
- Steals nutrients from the host plant
⚖️ Key features of parasitism
- One benefits (+)
- One is harmed (–)
- Usually long-term relationship
- Parasite depends on host for survival
🔬 Difference from other relationships
| Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| Parasitism | One benefits, one harmed |
| Mutualism | Both benefit |
| Commensalism | One benefits, other unaffected |
🧠 Bottom line
Parasitism is a biological relationship where one organism survives by harming another organism.
If you want, I can also explain:
- Parasites in humans and how they spread
- Or differences between parasite, pathogen, and virus in simple terms 👍
