2. WARM UP
1. Think back to Yesterday’s lesson. Period 3: Lab
Report Period 4: HIV Transmission and Immunology.
2. What did you like and dislike about each period?
1. What do you think was the objective of each
period?
2. What did you learn from each period?
3. Do you think this information is of value to you
personally? Why or why not?
4. Any additional comments or questions.
Announcements:
1. Hard Copy of Lab Report Due Tomorrow
2. Exam Tomorrow
Agenda:
1. The wonderful world of parasites
2. Study Time
3. Parasites
What is a parasite or parasitism?
• A non mutual relationship between organisms of different
species where the parasite benefits at the expense of the
host.
• There are many types of parasites!
• Animals – Blood Fluke, Leech, Hookworm, toxoplasma gondii, Candiru
• Bacterial - Salmonella
• Viral – Ebola, HIV
• Commensalism – one organism benefits. Other is neutral
• Mutualism – Both organisms benefit.
4. Putting Things in Perspective
• 1 trillion human cells in the body.
• 10 trillion foreign cells living on and in you. (mostly
bacterial)
• Making you 1% to 10% human
6. Ampulex compressa – Zombies and
Neurosurgery
Species: Emerald Cockroach Wasp
Type of Parasitism: Egg Laying
• Wasp stings venom into cockroach to paralyze cockroach.
Sends second sting to brain and turns it into a zombie.
Then, brings roach into burrow and lays eggs into head of
cockroach. Larvae hatches and eats cockroach.
2 min in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyd8NmLJwcM&feature=
related
7. Myrmeconema neotropicum – It likes
big butts and it can not lie….
Location: Rain Forest
How it Works: Eggs live and develop in the
abdomen of ants and increases. Changes behavior
of ants to stick butt in air. Big red butt looks like
berries to birds. Parasite breeds inside birds and
lays eggs feces of bird.
9. Candiru (By Request)
Species: Candiru aka Toothpick Fish or Vampire Fish
Location: Amazon river
Size: Up to 16 inches but most are smaller
Fun Facts:
• Has been found in vaginal cavity. Extraction by pushing
the hooks in and twisting head off.
• Attacks the urethra due to chemical scent of urine
Type of Parasitism: Blood sucking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQWgUht-ObI
10. Schistosoma – The sweetest parasite
Species: Schistosoma or Blood Fluke
Location: Asia, Africa, South America
Type of Parasitism: Hooks and feeds off of blood vessels.
Fun Facts:
• Have distinct sexual dimorphism: Male and Female
• Life Cycle: Eggs passed through urine or feces onto freshwater.
Larvae goes into snail, Larvae then infects mammals by
penetrating skin in water. Secretes enzyme to dissolve skin and
slips into vein. Swims in circulatory system. Finds a mate. Male
does courtship and female fits in groove of male (spooning). Male
feeds female and stays together for years…40 years, making eggs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05x3fSGKC0&feature=t
opics
11. Hookworm – The New Allergy Medicine
Species: Hookworm
Location: Everywhere
Type of Parasitism: Hooks and feeds off of blood vessels.
Fun Facts:
• Crawls up through the foot. Crawls up host to find intestine and sucks on the
blood. Lays eggs in fecal matter and whole process starts again.
Hookworm History:
• 1908 Anemia in the South: John D. Rockafeller wanted to find out why the
South’s economy is in the toilet. Economist thought because they were anemic.
Sent Doctor down and found that anemia was linked to soil. Good sandy soil =
anemia. Hard Clay Soil – no anemia. Checked feces in tree area. Went #2 with
no shoes. Scientist set up sandbox to test crawl behavior (1 foot a day). Birth of
outhouse 6 ft down
• Jasper Lawrence (England): Hookworm and allergies. Started landscaping
business. Saw BBC documentary about parasites and allergies. Looked online
and found studies that developing nations don’t have allergies. Wanted to find
hookworm. Walked in fecal matter in Africa. (30-40) Went home and no allergies
• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44aq2A6NkUw
12. Toxoplasma – The reason for crazy cat
ladies
Species: Toxoplasma Gondii (parasitic protozoa)
Location: Cats
Type of Parasitism: Invades muscle and neural cells and forms a vacuole
to replicate asexually. Can also invade intestines of cats and to reproduce
sexually.
Fun Facts:
• Toxoplasmosis – seizure, blindness
• The most amazing feat of mind control
• Toxo hooks up in cat intestine and poos out eggs
• Rats eat cat poo and gets toxo
• Toxo wants to be in cat so crawls up amygdala of brain (control
center for fear/anxiety) and the part for sexual arousal next door
• Toxo makes rats hot for cats but everything else is normal
• Toxo and Schizophrenia and other psychosis
• Shows small correlation of increase schizophrenia in late 1700s to
1800s with pet cats
• Toxo = 2-4x dying in car accidents
• 1 of 1000s of different parasites
