A thread drifted, then:
Got me, what is the difference between disease
organisms and parasites?
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!
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>
Dave
"I am Joe's Mitochondria" Maru
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