Parasitism and ecological parasitology

Parasitism as one of the modes of life is a general biological phenomenon and is characteristic of all viruses, many taxa of bacteria, fungi, protists, metaphytes, and metazoans. Zooparasitology is focused on studies of parasitic animals, particularly, on their taxonomy, anatomy, life cycles, host-parasite relations, biocoenotic connections, and evolution. Ecological parasitology is a part of ecology as a discipline studying the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings. The present paper contains a critical analysis of the problems, main postulates, and terminology of the modern ecological parasitology.     

Parasitism and ecological parasitology

Parasitism as one of the life modes is a general biological phenomenon and is a characteristic of all viruses, many taxa of bacteria, fungi, protists, metaphytes, and metazoans. Zooparasitology is focused on studies of parasitic animals, particularly, on their taxonomy, anatomy, life cycles, host-parasite relations, biocoenotic connections, and evolution. Ecological parasitology is a component of ecology, as the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings. In the present paper, critical analysis of the problems, main postulates, and terminology of the modern ecological parasitology is given.     

Analytical parasitology

edited by M.T. Rogan, Springer, 1997. DM128.00 (365 pages) ISBN 3 540 58919 8.     

Parasitism and the platyhelminthes

by Graeme C. Kearn, Chapman & Hall, 1998. pound115.00 (xii +544 pages) ISBN 0 412 80460 3.     

Post-genomic nematode parasitology

The future direction of post-genomic nematode parasitology should focus on the function of the genes that are defined by large-scale expressed sequence tag sequencing and on broader questions about the genetic basis of parasitism. Functional characterisation will require the application of high throughput technologies that have been developed in other fields, including genome mapping strategies and DNA microarray analysis. These will be greatly aided by the development and application of appropriate model organisms. It is crucial that the field make the transition from a narrow focus on one or a few genes at a time to a focus on whole genomes in order to fully realise the potential of the expressed sequence tag and other genomic projects currently under way.     

Diagnostic medical parasitology

by L.S. Garcia and D.A. Bruckner, ASM Press, 1997. pound60.00 (xv+937 pages) ISBN 1 55581 1167.     

Parasites, parasitology and parasitologists

The science of parasitology is one of the many new disciplines of the twentieth century, as such it is a dynamic and rapidly evolving science which encompasses an increasing number of sub-disciplines and technologies. However, will the fragmentation involved in current methods of scientific enquiry and the competition for funding mean the decline of certain areas of parasitology or perhaps the complete loss of the discipline. This paper attempts to address these questions by considering the development of the discipline of parasitology especially within Australia and by considering the mechanisms of attaining funding for science. Technological change and its impact on parasitology is also considered, and requirements for maintenance of the discipline and its practitioners are suggested.