Lesson 2: The Role of Defense Use the following scenario to answer the questions

Question

Lesson 2: The Role of Defense



Use the following scenario to answer the questions in this assignment

In the absence of predators, parasitism is a major force of selection in human populations. With millions of kinds of parasites competing for the hospitality of a human host, interrelationships exist between parasites that maximize or minimize access.

The Anopheles mosquito is indigenous to wet, tropical regions of world. The female’s goal is to suck out the rich blood of warm-blooded hosts to incubate the eggs stored inside her abdomen. It may collect blood from several people in the process. However, many people in tropical areas have the parasitic protist Plasmodium in their blood-streams. The Plasmodium uses human red blood cells as incubators for its young. When the young are mature, the red blood cells burst, releasing the new Plasmodia into the bloodstream where they seek out new RBC’s. When the RBC’s burst, the host is said to be experiencing malaria – accompanied by fever, chills, and intense fatigue. If enough RBC’s are destroyed, the host dies. The malaria-causing Plasmodium may be present in the blood that the mosquito has extracted from its first human host. When the mosquito finds a second person to bite, it will unintentionally deposit some of the Plasmodium-laden blood into the second human, spreading malaria quite effectively. Nearly 2 million people a year die of malaria world-wide – most of them children.








1. What biological interrelationship best describes that between the Anopheles mosquito and the malaria Plasmodium?



A. parasitism

B. mutualism

C. commensalism

D. predation








2. What biological interrelationship best describes that between the Anopheles mosquito and the human host?



A. parasitism

B. mutualism

C. commensalism

D. predation.








3. What biological interrelationship best describes that between the malaria Plasmodium and the human host?



A. parasitism

B. mutualism

C. commensalism

D. predation








4. Interaction between individuals in which of the following species pairs would be considered interspecific competition?



A. mosquito - plasmodium

B. mosquito - mosquito

C. mosquito - human

D. plasmodium – human








5. Interaction between individuals in which of the following species pairs would be considered intraspecific competition?



A. mosquito - plasmodium

B. mosquito - mosquito

C. mosquito - human

D. plasmodium - human




(3 marks)

b. Co-evolution is a concept that applies to 2 organisms whose evolutionary success is linked together. Apply the term co-evolution to the scenario above. Explain your reasoning.


Answer:



(2 marks)

c. Describe 2 technologies or interventions that would assist in reducing access of the malarial Plasmodium parasite to human populations.


Answer:

Explanation / Answer

1. C commensalism because plasmodium benefits but harmless to the mosquito 2. D predation they are basically hunting us 3. A parasitism i think u know y 4. A different species competing for the same resources in this case our blood 5. B mosquito the same species competing for the same resources b. since the only way the plasmodium parasite can get into a host body is through direct injection into the blood stream and the mosquito primary food during pregnancy is blood and so the parasite is harmless to the mosquito and the mosquito provide a home and transit that is important to the parasite life cycle. c. 2 interventions r net and prevent any still water around the residence area and technology is insect propellant. hope this help

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