Parasite

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-020224",
  "term": "Parasite",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. A plant or animal that lives on or in another species and derives its nutrition and/or protection, often with harmful effects to the host.\n\n2. A plant or animal that lives on or in another plant or animal, while making no beneficial contribution to that host.\n\n3. Organism living in or on another living organism (host) and obtaining its food from the latter. May be harmful (i.e., pathogen) or beneficial (e.g., mycorrhizae).\n\n4. Organisms that derive nourishment and protection from other living organisms known as hosts. They may be transmitted from animals to humans, from humans to humans, or from humans to animals. Several parasites have emerged as significant causes of foodborne and waterborne disease. These organisms live and reproduce within the tissues and organs of infected human and animal hosts, and are often excreted in feces. Some common parasites are Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spiralis, Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), and Taenia solium (pork tapeworm).\n\n5. Organism that lives in or on another organism without benefiting the host organism; commonly refers to pathogens, most commonly in reference to protozoans and helminths.\n\n6. Organism which obtains food and shelter from another organism (for example, Giardia). [CancerWeb 2005]\n\n7. Plant or animal that lives on or in another plant or animal, while making no beneficial contribution to that host. [FDA 2001]\n\n8. Plant or animal that lives on or in another species and derives its nutrition and/or protection, often with harmful effects to the host.\n\n9. An organism that lives off another organism in a way that harms it.",
  "subject": "Ecosystems",
  "references": [
    "Chesapeake Bay Glossary",
    "FDA 2001",
    "USDA Forest Service Field Guide to Insects and Diseases of Arizona and New Mexico Forests Glossary",
    "USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Glossary",
    "CDC Malaria Glossary",
    "Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment",
    "Pest Patrol Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/parasite/"
}