Saprophytes And Parasites: What They Are And Examples Of Bacteria

• 1 Parasitic life forms
• 2 Living organisms related to saprophytes
• 3 Differences between saprophytes and parasites

The term parasites is broad and often people understand by them all inhabitants of the plant environment that use organic matter as food. However, saprophytes and parasites are strikingly different in both characteristics and life cycle.

Parasitic life forms

Parasites are lower class creatures of plant or animal origin. The concept itself is translated as "freeloader", which fully reflects the essence of parasitic organisms. Examples of parasites for humans:

• worms (helminths);
• simple / complex viruses;
• fungi (candida).

Organisms can survive only at the expense of the host, feeding on the tissues of a living being or a plant. The habitat is chosen inside or outside the carrier: foliage, fruits, dermis, internal organs, mucous membrane. Almost all types of microorganisms are dangerous to humans. Viruses threaten vital activity, helminths poison the body with toxic secretions, the fungus destroys the microflora, causes necrosis. In some cases, the lack of medical care is fatal.

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The life cycle of any species is almost always multi-stage, this is the difference between saprophytes and parasites. The latter have many intermediate stages of reformation. For example, for helminths, an initial developmental environment (water) is required, then an intermediate carrier, and only then the final host, in whose body the full maturity of the worm is achieved.

Living organisms related to saprophytes

Saprophytes are bacteria and microorganisms that feed on the remains of animals and plants. As inferior creatures, almost all microorganisms are safe for humans. But there are some that can be harmful, such as a dust mite. This inhabitant lives on any surfaces, feeds on dust. Another example of harmful bacteria is Escherichia coli, which causes severe pathologies when it enters a living organism. By causing an infectious disease, the bacillus can provoke pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis - diseases with a high risk of death.

The life cycle of organisms is not complex. In the process of symbiosis, a viable individual is formed, capable of further reproduction by spores.

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Differences between saprophytes and parasites

The difference between saprophytes and parasites is more obvious when considering the nature of existence and nutrition. So, fungi, microbes, parasites and saprophytes, the characteristic differences:

Parasites	Saprophytes
exist only at the expense of the carrier	do not feed on living organics
affect the host's body in a negative way, causing infections, toxic poisoning	microorganisms and bacteria that rarely have a harmful effect on humans
a living carrier is required for existence: fish, man, animal	enough non-living biological structures

Regardless of the nature, bacteria, microorganisms, fungi, parasites and saprophytes can be harmful, so prevention, personal hygiene, caution in eating raw food and other precautions will come in handy.

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