parasite

📅 Updated:2018-08-31

🕒 Created:2015-09-08

🆔 ID:8732

Description

A parasite is a symbiotic organism that causes harm to its host. Parasites are different from parasitioids, as parasites do not kill their hosts; whereas parasitoids do, usually upon completing the larval stage of their life cycle. Parasites are distinct from germs, as while parasites are multicellular animals, germs are single-celled (although germs could be said to be parasitic microbes, the line is drawn there). Having a parasite is referred to as an infestation (lit. "to be overrun by pests"), rather than an infection.