Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Obligate parasite
Introduction
An obligate parasite is a parasitic organism that cannot live independently of its host. For example, a virus is an obligate parasite because it cannot reproduce outside a host cell.
References
References
- Serge, Morand.; et al. (1996). “Body size evolution of oxyurid (Nematoda) parasites: the role of hosts”. Oecologia. 107 (2): 274–282.
- Lenoir, A.; et al. (2001). “Chemical ecology and social parasitism in ants”. Annual Review of Entomology. 46: 573–599.
- Trontti, Kalevi, Aron, Serge and Sundström, Liselotte (2006). “The genetic population structure of the ant Plagiolepis xene – implications for genetic vulnerability of obligate social parasites”. Conservation Genetics. 7 (2): 241–250.