Barrons AP Environmental Science

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

  1. (D) Virulence is the harm that parasites and diseases cause to their host.
    Parasite virulence is, in general, proportional to the degree that the parasite
    exploits the host. Parasite offspring are produced by exploiting the host;
    therefore, some virulence is inevitable. However, too-strong host
    exploitation leads to high virulence that jeopardizes survival of the host and
    the parasite itself. Thus, there should be an optimal level of host exploitation
    and virulence by the parasite.

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