parasite
Enable an agent to recognise an organism acting as a parasite, assess its relationship with a particular host and life stage, and identify justified next actions.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
5 bundles · 9 layers · 16 findings · 26 questions
Parasitic role and identity Establish what organism is being described and why its association is classified as parasitic.
Organism identification
Separate the observed organism from broader taxonomic assertions.
Identity at supported resolution
Record the lowest supported identification, the observed life stage and the evidence linking it to a taxon.
- Does this record describe an individual, a life stage, a taxon or several organisms associated with one host? boundary
- Which specimen, observation or identification result supports the name, and which taxonomic authority and version resolve it? provenance
Interaction classification
Test the nutritional relationship and its boundaries with neighbouring ecological roles.
Evidence for parasitism
Require evidence of host-derived nourishment and evaluate host outcomes without treating missing observations as proof of no effect.
- What host resource does the organism obtain, and what evidence demonstrates that transfer? definition
- What evidence distinguishes this association from commensalism, mutualism, predation or parasitoid development? boundary
- How should the registry's 'without benefiting or killing the host' wording apply when benefit is uncertain or host death occurs? boundary
Host occupation and dependence Describe which host is used, where the parasite occurs and how it depends on that host.
Host and occupied site
Locate the organism within a specific host association.
Verified host location
Record the host and anatomical location while separating established association from incidental presence or sample contamination.
- Which host individual or taxon is involved, and on which surface, tissue or internal compartment was the organism observed? measurement
- What supports an established host association rather than incidental carriage or contamination during sampling? provenance
Resource use and host restrictions
Characterise nutritional dependence and the limits of suitable host use.
Stage-specific host dependence
Distinguish observed resource use from claims about obligatory dependence or the range of usable hosts.
- Which nourishment comes from the host, and during which stages is host access required for survival or development? definition
- Which hosts support feeding, development or reproduction, and which are supported only by occurrence records? boundary
Life cycle and host transitions Represent development and movement between hosts or environmental settings.
Developmental requirements
Identify the conditions and host roles associated with each supported life stage.
Stage and host role map
Connect observed stages with documented development and reproduction requirements without assuming a multi-host cycle.
- Which stage is present, and what evidence indicates its viability, maturity or reproductive activity? measurement
- Does completion of the life cycle require one host, several hosts or a host-free phase, and which transitions remain unverified? definition
Acquisition and transfer
Describe how a relevant stage reaches and establishes an association with another host.
Supported transfer pathway
Record the transferable stage, route and required conditions, distinguishing demonstrated transfer from plausible exposure.
- Which stage passes through which route to reach a host, and what evidence supports establishment after arrival? provenance
- Which host contact or environmental condition could be monitored or interrupted to affect this documented pathway? action
Burden, host effects and response Assess the observed association and identify actions proportionate to its evidence and consequences.
Burden and host condition
Measure parasite occurrence alongside relevant host outcomes.
Comparable burden and effect observations
Keep individual-host burden separate from population occurrence and assess host effects against an explicit baseline.
- What burden was measured, using which sample quantity, host denominator, method and detection limit? measurement
- Which host changes were observed, and what comparison supports attributing them to this parasite? provenance
- Does the reported value describe one host's burden or the proportion of examined hosts with detected parasites? boundary
Observation and intervention decisions
Connect uncertainty and observed consequences to suitable follow-up.
Evidence-linked response
Specify the reason for monitoring, identification or control and the observations needed to judge its result.
- Which unresolved identification, burden or host-effect question should the next observation or expert assessment resolve? action
- If control is proposed, which life stage or pathway does it target, what host or non-target effects must be considered, and how will the outcome be measured? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of parasite this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- noun.animal
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.LIV
- Facets: substance
- living
- Facets: origin
- natural
- Facets: agency
- inert
- Facets: mobility
- not-applicable
- Facets: scale
- not-applicable
- Facets: affordances
- observable
- Other names and narrower kinds
- endoparasite, entoparasite, entozoan, entozoon, endozoan, ectoparasite, ectozoan, ectozoon, epizoan, epizoon, parasite yew, Parasitaxus ustus
What it is Filled
A parasite, in the animal-or-plant sense, is an organism that lives in or on a host and obtains nourishment at the host's expense, generally without killing it immediately, although parasitism can ultimately cause host death.
In scope
- An organism's parasitic role in a specified host relationship and life stage
- Host-derived nourishment and the location of attachment, residence or feeding
- Host requirements, life stages and routes of acquisition or transfer
- Parasite burden, persistence and observed effects on the host
- Evidence supporting identification and proportionate observation or management
Out of scope
- Complete taxonomic descriptions and conservation assessments of particular species
- The host's full anatomy, physiology and population model
- Disease diagnosis and clinical treatment protocols
- Predation, parasitoid development, mutualism and commensalism as independent interaction models
- Pesticide, antiparasitic medicine and control-device specifications
Why it exists Filled
Enable an agent to recognise an organism acting as a parasite, assess its relationship with a particular host and life stage, and identify justified next actions.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Determine whether the organism obtains nourishment from an identifiable host; proximity or surface presence alone does not establish parasitism.
- Establish whether the association involves residence, attachment or a recurring feeding relationship, and distinguish it from a discrete predation event.
- Evaluate benefits and costs to both partners; distinguish parasitism from an association supported as mutualistic or commensal.
- Determine whether host death is a required developmental outcome, an incidental consequence or unestablished, and examine the boundary with parasitoids.
- Apply the classification to the relevant organism, host and life stage rather than assuming every member or stage of a taxon is parasitic.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Diagnose or treat a suspected parasitic infection in a person or animal without a clinician or vet.
- Culture, concentrate or move parasites outside authorized containment.
- Describe people or communities as carriers or unclean because parasitic disease is present.
- Recommend unproven remedies in place of established treatment.
Only with a human decision
- Any treatment decision for a person or animal.
- Field work that handles infected hosts or vectors.
May
- Describe parasite life cycles, hosts and prevention measures from reputable sources.
- Report laboratory or field identification with the method used.
Moral aspects Filled
- Parasitic diseases fall hardest on poor communities and are heavily stigmatized.
- Delayed treatment causes blindness, organ damage and death in children.
Who is affected
- Infected people, especially children
- Livestock and pets
- Communities facing stigma
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody: living organisms; laboratories and health authorities answer for samples and surveillance.
Master systems
- Public health surveillance registers
- Taxonomy and parasite collection databases
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- oewn-00004475-n - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.parasite
- Open English WordNet: oewn-01387328-n
Direct properties required Filled
- Identification and observation level: Taxon, individual, life stage or host-associated assemblage; identification method and confidence
- Host association: Host identity; observed or proposed association; host role if established
- Host location: External surface, internal compartment, multiple locations or unresolved; anatomical site
- Nutritional dependence: Host-derived resource; obligatory, facultative, stage-specific or unresolved dependence
- Developmental and reproductive state: Taxon-appropriate stage; viability; maturity; reproductive activity where established
- Parasite burden: Count per examined host, count per specified sample quantity, or occupied area; method and detection limit
- Observed host effect: Specified host outcome relative to a stated baseline; adverse effect observed, not detected or unresolved
- Acquisition or transfer pathway: Source host or environment, receiving host, transferable stage and route; evidence status
Recognition required Filled
- Many are microscopic; identification relies on laboratory examination, not on symptoms.
- Some worms are visible, but species needs laboratory confirmation.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Record a parasite observation with host, anatomical site, life stage and identification confidence.
- Evaluate whether the observed association supports a parasitic classification.
- Trace evidenced host and environmental transitions needed for development or transfer.
- Compare parasite burden and host condition using compatible sampling methods.
- Identify gaps requiring expert identification, repeat observation or targeted sampling.
- Evaluate monitoring or control options against the implicated life stage, host effects and non-target consequences.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Untreated infection causes lasting organ damage and child development loss.
- Resistance to antiparasitic drugs is spreading.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- World Health Organization guidance on neglected tropical diseases.
Context of use required Filled
- Parasites occur in natural ecosystems, agriculture and human or animal health settings wherever organisms obtain nourishment at a host's expense.
- The concept is used to study host relationships, explain damage and assess potential effects on populations or production.
- Assessment depends on the organism, host and life stage because parasitic relationships can change across a life cycle.
Sources Filled
- Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-01387328-n - sense and gloss of the concept
- Wiktionary: parasite - word senses and usage
Open questions
- Should the registry retain its animal-or-plant restriction, and where should organisms outside those groups that have parasitic relationships be represented?
- How should the registry interpret 'without benefiting or killing the host' when host outcomes vary, are mixed or include incidental mortality?
- What operational boundary should distinguish parasites from parasitoids and organisms that make brief, repeated feeding visits?
- What minimum evidence should establish parasitism when host-derived feeding is demonstrated but host costs are difficult to measure?
- Which existing Vercy models already own parasite, host-interaction or life-cycle concepts and should be linked to avoid duplicate ownership?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-parasite/spec.json