> David Land <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>[I wrote:] <snip>
> >>Delineating one from another is not always > >>straightforward. > >> > >>My Steadman's definition of "parasite" is > >>1) an organism that lives on or in another and > >>draws its nourishment therefrom > The word comes from the Greek, and means "one who > eats from someone > else's table." (Para = "beside", Sitos = "grain, > food"). > >>Practically speaking, I think what makes something > >>a parasite involves the "eeuuww!" factor: tapeworms > >>are just *gross,* while cold-causing viruses really > >>aren't. > Not necessarily, but people who have 'em sure are! <grin> See my last response this thread; "my" definition is just that -- mine, not the official one. And I fear that my allergies are causing _me_ to be somewhat gross this time of year...just think "copious quantities of nasal mucus!"... ;) > If anyone's really interested, Google will locate > any number of med > school syllabi on the subject, including this one: > <http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~terry/229sp02/lectures/Lect10.html> "-Disease is a process (verb), not a state (noun) -Every disease is a race between pathogen trying to gain a foothold and host defenses trying to prevent pathogen. Many factors involved: virulence and numbers of pathogen, health and age of host, etc. -Wrong to equate "one pathogen" = disease. Much more complex. -Disease = state of being not in good health (not at ease, "dis-ease"). -Parasite often used to refer to protozoans or worms; the term "Pathogen" is typically used when referring to bacteria, virus, or fungus that causes disease. All are parasitic. -Pathogen = organism with potential to cause disease" It might be semantics (or my Microbiology background being persnickety), but I think it's incorrect to call any organism that is _capable_ of living independently a parasite. Thus _Clostridium tetani_, which lives quite happily in the soil until it is introduced to your flesh via a nail or other skin-tearing trauma, when it can become a nasty pathogen, should not be deemed a parasite. > Dave > "I am Joe's Mitochondria" Maru <grin> Debbi "I Am Jane's Farandola" Maru (or should that have been 'farandolae'?) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com/
_______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
