Clinical Parasitology
INTRODUCTION TO
PARASITOLOGY
Parasitology
- area of Biology concerned with
the phenomenon of
dependence of one living
organism on another.
Medical parasitology
- animal parasites of humans
and their medical significance
and importance in human
communities.
Parasites
- organisms living on another:
an animal that lives on or in
another.
Disease
- illness, an abnormal condition
of the body.
HISTORY
- First written records of
Egyptian medicine from 3000
to 400 BC, particularly the
Ebers papyrus of 1500 BC
discovered at Thebes
- many detailed descriptions of
various diseases - Greek and
Persians between 800 to 300.
- Helminthology - 17th and 18th
centuries following the
re-emergence of science and
scholarship during the
Renaissance period.
BIOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS
Symbiosis
- The relationship between two
unlike organisms. Two living
things live together and involve
protection or other advantages
to one or both partner
Commensalism
- symbiotic relationship: 2
species live together where 1
benefits from the relationships
without harming or benefiting
the other.
Mutualism
- a symbiosis:2 organisms
mutually benefit from each
other.
Parasitism
- an association which is
beneficial to one partner and
harmful to the other partner.
PARASITES
- Described according to their
habitat or Mode of
development
Lenn Cabrera
