Parasitism
Parasitism is a relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or in another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life.
Ectoparasite
These are the parasite that are present on external surface of host organism
Eg: Lice on humans, ticks on dogs, cuscuta, Leech, Copepods on marine fish etc.
Brood parasitism
Lets the host incubate them
Parasitic bird have evolved to resemble the host’s egg in
size and Colour to reduce the chances of the host bird detecting the foreign eggs and ejecting them from the nest
Cuckoo (Koel)
Parasitic bird lays its eggs in the nest of its host
Endoparasite
These are parasites that live inside the body of the host
Their life cycle is complex due to extreme specialization
Their morphological and anatomical feature are greatly simplified while emphasising their reproductive potential
Eg Human Liverfluke, Malarial Parasite
Human liver fluke
It is a trematode parasite
It depends on two intermediate and primary host
The primary host is human
the intermediate host are fish and snail
Predator immediately kills the prey. Parasite does not immediately kill the host organism.