HUMAN PARASITOLOGY EXAMPREP 2026
TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
⩥ phoresis. Answer: one organism is mechanically carried on or in
another species; "to carry"
-no dependence on the part of the symbiont (host)
⩥ commensalism. Answer: one organism feeds on food not consumed by
the host; one partner benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed
⩥ mutualism. Answer: each member of the association benefits the
other; one cannot survive without the other
⩥ parasitism. Answer: one organism benefits (gains nourishment/habitat
on or in the host), host is harmed
⩥ protozoa. Answer: unicellular eukaryotes
⩥ metazoa. Answer: multicellular eukaryotes
⩥ platyhelminthes. Answer: flatworms including flukes and tapeworms
,⩥ nematodes. Answer: elongated worms with rigid cuticles
⩥ arthropods. Answer: insects, ticks, fleas, lice, mites which either are
parasitic or transmit parasites as vectors
⩥ ectoparasites. Answer: live on, but not in their hosts (can still cause
severe illness)
-in humans, attach and burrow in the skin
(all parasitic arthropods are ectoparasites)
⩥ endoparasite. Answer: live within the body and tissues of their hosts
⩥ intercellular parasites. Answer: (macroparasites)
-inhabit spaces in the host's body (ex: GI tract, muscle)
-longer generation time and tendency for reinfection
-intermediate hosts common
-larger
-not within cells (between muscle cells)
⩥ intracellular parasite. Answer: (microparasites- very small)
, -inhabit within cells inside host's body
-shorter generation time and infection time
-typically rely on vector for transmission
⩥ infectious diesase. Answer: caused by transmittable parasitic agents
including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and a variety of metazoans
⩥ infection. Answer: usually implies replication of agent resulting in a
growing number of pathogens
(generally caused by endoparasites)
⩥ infestation. Answer: characterized by a constant number of pathogens
-severity of disease often depends on infection dose
(generally caused by ectoparasites)
⩥ obligate parasite. Answer: (most common)
-cannot complete life cycle without spending at least part of time in
parasitic relationship
-may have a free-living stage outside any host (in capsule or cyst for
protection)
*have to spend some portion of life in the host (can't survive without
spending part of their life in host)
TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
⩥ phoresis. Answer: one organism is mechanically carried on or in
another species; "to carry"
-no dependence on the part of the symbiont (host)
⩥ commensalism. Answer: one organism feeds on food not consumed by
the host; one partner benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed
⩥ mutualism. Answer: each member of the association benefits the
other; one cannot survive without the other
⩥ parasitism. Answer: one organism benefits (gains nourishment/habitat
on or in the host), host is harmed
⩥ protozoa. Answer: unicellular eukaryotes
⩥ metazoa. Answer: multicellular eukaryotes
⩥ platyhelminthes. Answer: flatworms including flukes and tapeworms
,⩥ nematodes. Answer: elongated worms with rigid cuticles
⩥ arthropods. Answer: insects, ticks, fleas, lice, mites which either are
parasitic or transmit parasites as vectors
⩥ ectoparasites. Answer: live on, but not in their hosts (can still cause
severe illness)
-in humans, attach and burrow in the skin
(all parasitic arthropods are ectoparasites)
⩥ endoparasite. Answer: live within the body and tissues of their hosts
⩥ intercellular parasites. Answer: (macroparasites)
-inhabit spaces in the host's body (ex: GI tract, muscle)
-longer generation time and tendency for reinfection
-intermediate hosts common
-larger
-not within cells (between muscle cells)
⩥ intracellular parasite. Answer: (microparasites- very small)
, -inhabit within cells inside host's body
-shorter generation time and infection time
-typically rely on vector for transmission
⩥ infectious diesase. Answer: caused by transmittable parasitic agents
including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and a variety of metazoans
⩥ infection. Answer: usually implies replication of agent resulting in a
growing number of pathogens
(generally caused by endoparasites)
⩥ infestation. Answer: characterized by a constant number of pathogens
-severity of disease often depends on infection dose
(generally caused by ectoparasites)
⩥ obligate parasite. Answer: (most common)
-cannot complete life cycle without spending at least part of time in
parasitic relationship
-may have a free-living stage outside any host (in capsule or cyst for
protection)
*have to spend some portion of life in the host (can't survive without
spending part of their life in host)