Parasites are organisms which take nutrition from other living things. Discover the life cycle of parasites, from tapeworms to cuckoos.
- Parasites live on, or inside, another species and gain nourishment from them.
- Parasites have complex lifecycles, using host species in order to gain entry to another, e.g. the malaria parasite uses the mosquito to travel between human hosts.
- Parasites can affect the health and behavior of their hosts.
- Parasites must tread a careful balance - taking the nourishment they need without killing their hosts.
In every ecosystem, there are parasites, organisms that live on or inside another species, causing them harm.
Parasites: Gain nourishment from another species
Some parasites live on the surface of their host - like head lice that live and feed on the scalp.
And fleas that feed by sucking blood. ...
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