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Definition of the American Society of Parasitologists |
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Written by Gardner
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Parasitology is the study of parasites and of parasitism! We parasitologists study parasites and their hosts wherever we find them. Some parasitologists study parasitic worms including (tapeworms = cestodes, thorny-headed worms = acanthocephalans, trematodes = flukes, nematodes = nematans = roundworms, horse-hair worms = nematomorphs). Some study microscopic protozoans = protistans. Others study acarines including ticks and mites. While still others concentrate their work on leeches, and some work with fleas, flies, and (or) other insects. There are even parasitologists who study nest parasitism in birds and parasites that are vertebrates like the Lamprey! As you can see from this list, parasitologists are a diverse bunch. However, there is more!
Parasites are Diverse and so are Parasitologists Many of us study parasites by applying techniques from the fields of immunology, cell biology, molecular biology, genomics, and proteomics! In addition to all that, many parasitologists are well versed in the field of ecology, because to understand the ways parasites live in nature, people who study parasites usually need to know a lot about their hosts (the animals or plants in or on which the parasite lives). And, parasitologists need to identify the parasites on which they are working; many times parasitologists are asked to identify unknown or "new" parasites. In addition to all this, the field of parasite systematics and taxonomy is at the foundation of our understanding of parasites in nature; if we can put a name on a species of parasite, then we can start to understand how it is related to other parasites and its role in natural systems. Taxonomy (naming and classifying species) and systematics (understanding the evolutionary relationships among species) is therefore the basis or foundation for modern studies of biodiversity. We need to know how parasites are related to one another before we can make predictions, and the best way to understand geanological relationships of animals or plants is to group them based on common ancestors. This is another area in which parasitology benefits from related biological fields, this the realm of phylogenetic systematics. The Importance of Parasitology to Biodiversity Studies The reason that parasitology is so important in the modern world is that more than 1/2 of all the species on the planet are actually parasites. This is because every species of free-living animal (like a white-footed-mouse, for instance) has its own host-specific parasites (it can also share lots of parasites with other mice, these are NOT host specific to the species level); thus, several species of parasites may be found to inhabit only one species of host animal. Therefore, using simple math, it is obvious that there exist many more species of parasites than free-living animals and plants! Parasitology Means "The Study of Parasites" Parasitologists also study parasites in the laboratory via in-vitro (artificial medium) and in-vivo (in live plants or animals). Some parasitologists focus more on parasites of wild animals, some are more interested in parasites of veterinary importance (this means domestic animals), and still others deal exclusively with parasites from humans. Much More Information About Parasites is Available If you would like more information about the activities and reasons for the existence of the ASP, click on the link above for the Secretary-Treasurer of the ASP and ask Dr. John Janovy Jr. for information about our society. You can also ask for help from any of the members or officers of the ASP who are listed on this site. These people will either assist you directly, or they will gladly direct you to the right person! Our members will be more than happy to help you find any information about parasites and parasitology.
For additional information, click around on the site and be sure to visit the area with the title "What is ASP?" by clicking on the tab at the top of this page for more information about the American Society of Parasitologists. If you are interested in a career in parasitology, click the "Careers" tab and explore, then give a Parasitologist a call or an e-mail! |
What is the ASP? 