Parasitology Definitions and Concepts

Parasitism is a relationship between two organisms where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other organism, the host.

An intermediate host is an organism that harbors a parasite during a stage, or stages, of its development, but does not provide the parasite with the ability to reproduce sexually.

Encystation is the process in which an organism encloses itself in a protective cyst, or capsule, to survive adverse conditions or to become dormant. Often, this is to allow for parasitic transmission.

<p>A cercaria larva is a free-swimming, infective larval stage of certain parasitic flatworms (trematodes) typically found in aquatic environments. They have a tail for swimming and are responsible for infecting the second intermediate host.</p> Signup and view all the answers