Parasite (Part 1) Storm Knight

In the natural world, there are countless varieties of colors Forms of mutualistic relationships between living creatures, but we can summarize the relationships into 4 main groups:

• Mutualish – Mutual relationship – Win win – both parties benefit
• Commensalish – A relationship where one party benefits, the other party is neutral (neither benefits nor suffers any adverse effects)
• Parasitism – Parasitic relationship – one side benefits, the other side is slowly disadvantaged
• Predation – Hunter and prey relationship – one party benefits, the other is immediately disadvantaged

In this section, I will focus on analyzing more about two relationships that are perhaps attractive and sometimes cause confusion: Mutualish – Mutualistic relationship and Parasitism – Parasitic relationship.

Mutual relationship is the interaction between at least two individuals to obtain a common benefit for the survival of each party.

When beneficial interactions occur between individuals of the same species, this relationship is called Cooperation.

For example: A group of lions help each other hunt

When beneficial interactions occur between individuals of at least two different species, this relationship is called Symbiosis.

For example: The resident snail carries an anemone on its back, the resident snail benefits from using the anemone to ward off enemies, and the anemone also benefits from not having to lie in one place and can Earn more food when traveling with snails.

Mutual relationships have many different levels. At a low level, although reciprocity is necessary for the benefit of each individual, this is not binding and, most importantly, does not affect the individual. affects the independent existence of each individual.

At a higher level, reciprocity is almost mandatory, completely interdependent, each individual cannot exist without the presence of the other.

For example: Lichens represent a symbiotic interaction between algae and fungi. In this interaction, the fungi provide structure and moisture for the algae. Likewise, algae with the ability to photosynthesize are responsible for producing carbohydrates and sharing them with fungi. With this special symbiosis, fungi and algae have turned from plants that are extremely sensitive to their environment into lichens that can survive in the harshest environments in the world, from the cold of the arctic to to the heat of the desert.

Mutualistic relationships, especially high-level symbiosis, are easily confused with parasitic relationships, which we will analyze more clearly later.

Typical examples from movies, comics and video games include: The Symbiotes in the Marvel universe, the most famous being Venom, the Blue beetle of the DC universe, the Aburame clan in Naruto for a special insect that has called kikaichū nest on the body and absorb Chakra in return, causing them to attack and perform other tasks according to the direction of the owner, or strange creatures in Scorn despite the relationship between the characters controlled by us and creatures This strange relationship is somewhat more similar to a parasitic relationship, but because the main character still enjoys certain benefits from the gun that is the tail of the strange creature, this relationship is still a relationship. mutual system.

Parasitic relationship is an interaction between individuals of two species in which one species benefits at the expense of the other. In this case, the beneficial individual is called the parasite and the affected individual is the host.

Parasitic relationships, if classified by parasitic position, we have Internal Parasites and External Parasites

If we classify according to the nature of the parasite – the host, we have:

Plant – plant parasitism

For example, we can mention Mistletoe with the English name Mistletoe. In Greek, it is called phoradendron, meaning “thief on the branch” with its roots clinging tightly to the bark of other trees to absorb nutrients, but mistletoe is only a semi-parasitic plant. is born because the tree itself has leaves and chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Besides, we also have completely dependent parasitic plants such as Rafflesia arnoldii or corpse flower, which is the largest single-flowered plant in the world at the present time. Because the corpse flower does not have leaves or chlorophyll for photosynthesis, it must depend entirely on the nutrients of the other plant it parasitizes.

Plant parasites – living organisms

Examples include: Cordyceps, a valuable medicine made by the fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis belonging to the Ascomycetes fungus group that lives parasitically on the larva of the Thitarodes butterfly. In winter, this butterfly species lays eggs, the eggs hatch into larvae, they bury themselves in loose soil to start looking for a place to hibernate. When larvae ingest fungal spores or are infected with fungi through their breathing holes, the fungus will multiply vigorously, begin to invade cell tissues, gradually absorb all the nutrients inside the larvae’s body and kill the larvae. . Next summer, when conditions are suitable, the fungus begins to grow out of the worm’s body, gradually growing and spreading spores to prepare for the larval hunt next winter.

The same relative as the Ophiocordyceps sinensis mushroom mentioned above is the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis mushroom, also known as the Killer Mushroom or the Ant Brain Control Mushroom. When the fungal spore enters a worker ant, it absorbs nutrients and controls the host’s brain. Within a week, it will force the ant to leave the nest and climb a nearby tree trunk to a height of about 25cm – where the temperature and humidity are most suitable for the fungus to grow. The killer fungus will then grow a long stem from the ant’s body, developing into a cyst filled with spores. And because the parasitic worker ants are located at an ideal height in the foraging path of the ant nest, it creates conditions for fungal spores to fall and expose other ants in the colony and gradually turn into an entire colony. Ant nests become zombies.

It is this unique biological mechanism that inspired the game The Last of Us with a parasitic fungus on humans causing the Cordyceps Brain Infection pandemic.

In TheLast of Us, after just a few months, 2/3 of the world’s population died or became victims of this pandemic. Cordyceps fungus parasitizes the victim’s brain, using brain cells as nutrients to feed them to continue growing. That process will cause infected people to lose memory, go crazy and change their behavior completely, then transform into tools to spread the disease.

In fact, there are still many species of parasitic fungi on the human body, but the level is not too serious and the most common causes dermatological diseases such as: Trychophytone fungus, Microsporum fungus that causes ringworm, Malassezia fungus. causes tinea versicolor or, more commonly, Candida fungus, which is often transmitted sexually.

Microbial parasites – living organisms

The most typical example can be mentioned as the malaria parasite – a single-celled parasite with an extremely small size of only a few Micrometers, which must parasitize on the organism’s body to survive and develop.

To be continued