So it's not necessarily about one particular branch of the Tree of Life, but about a lifestyle that's evolved many, many times all across the tree of life. It's a term that describes a group of consumers, a way of living. WOOD: Well, that's a special thing about parasites. When we see parasites, how should we define them? What part of the kingdom of life are we talking about? So first of all, let's start with some of the basics. So I'm delighted to have you today because in a sense, the fact that parasites occupy this netherworld as you talk about, means that we need to pay more attention to them. Well, Chelsea Wood is an associate professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. And yet they're more common than pretty much any other organisms that surround us.ĬHAKRABARTI: Wow. They do things that are out of a sci-fi movie. Chelsea, what do you think of when you think of parasites?ĬHELSEA WOOD: The word parasite evokes for me this beautiful netherworld of organisms that most people are unfamiliar with, that exists just under the surface of everything that's familiar and that are beautiful. And parasite ecologist Chelsea Wood spends a lot of time looking at them and studying them, and she joins us today.

Well, there are a lot of different kinds of parasites out there. MEGHNA CHAKRABARTI: What do you think of when I say the word parasite? I'm betting it's maybe something slimy or gross.

Ceratothoa famosa and the fish, Cape seabream, both alive in the water. ( Images The famous tongue replacement isopod, Ceratothoa famosa, in the mouth of a Cape seabream. Peter Nejsum, professor in the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University in Denmark. ( Frank Richards, physician, epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist who focuses on parasitic diseases. Nico Smit, professor of ecology at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Associate professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. I fail to understand why something that's slimy or gross is less valuable as a species than something that's adorable and endearing.' 'Parasite loss is probably the biggest biodiversity crisis we’re facing,' says Chelsea Wood. They're one of the most common organisms on earth and they're critical to sustaining a healthy ecosystem.Īnd now, those ecosystems are even more fragile because parasites themselves are reducing in number. when you use the word 'parasite' is that it’s bad,' says Nico Smit.īut when it comes to parasites, gross is good. It's easy to think of them as doing no good. Sign up for the On Point newsletter here. Facebook Email A “family” photo of another species of parasitic isopod, this one from the genus Anilocra, attached to the body and fins of the fish host.

Parasite city deaths