Parasites live in other host organisms and depend on them for survival. Without a host, a parasite cannot live, grow, and multiply. For this reason, a parasite rarely kills its host, but it can spread diseases, some of which may be fatal.
What happens when a parasite kills the host?
Parasitic castrators partly or completely destroy their host's ability to reproduce, diverting the energy that would have gone into reproduction into host and parasite growth, sometimes causing gigantism in the host. The host's other systems remain intact, allowing it to survive and to sustain the parasite.
What is it called when a parasite kills its host?
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host.
Why parasites do not kill their host?
An 'ideal' parasite must not even dare kill its host because the death of the host means the death of the parasite. An “ideal” parasite does not even exist because the slightest effects of all parasites are detrimental to their hosts [2].
Can a parasite survive without a host?
Some rare parasites are called facultative, because they can survive and reproduce without a host, but very few that infect humans belong to this group (e.g. free-living amoebae).
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