Name: Bigger Beaks Through Climate Change
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 1 min 45 s
Description: This video talks about birds, how they are evolving in response to climate change, and how one species is surprisingly healthy. Let's find out.

Question

Should an ideal parasite be able to thrive within the host without harming it?

Accepted Answer

Parasitism is a population interaction where one organism is benefited (parasite) while another organism (host) is harmed. It is a (+,-) type of population interaction. The parasite obtains nutrients directly from another living organism called the host.

The characteristic of the parasite is to derive benefits for itself by harming the host. If the parasite thrives within the host without harming it, we cannot consider that organism a parasite. Instead, it will be a commensal.

Parasites play an important role in our ecosystem as they keep the host population in check. They are contributors to ecological balance. They influence host behaviour and fitness. So a harmless parasite won’t contribute to maintaining ecological balance and thus, natural selection will not lead to evolution.

Maharashtra Board Solutions for Chapter: Organisms and Populations, Exercise 7: Use Your brain Power

Maharashtra Board Biology Solutions for Exercise - Maharashtra Board Solutions for Chapter: Organisms and Populations, Exercise 7: Use Your brain Power

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