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parasitism

vr.tr.parasitism · thing-q186517

Let an agent explain parasitism as a category of species interaction and its many forms, describe examples across animals, plants and microbes, relate it to ecology, evolution and disease, and support learning.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.LIV
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What parasitism is.

Forms

Forms.

Forms

Forms.

  1. How do ectoparasitism, endoparasitism, micropredation, kleptoparasitism, brood and social parasitism and superparasitism differ? definition
  2. Which form is meant? boundary

Examples

Examples.

Examples

Examples.

  1. What are notable examples, from cuckoos and slave-making ants to tapeworms and mosquitoes? provenance
  2. Which entry fits a specific parasite? action
Evolution Ecology and evolution.

Arms

Coevolution.

Arms

Coevolution.

  1. How do hosts and parasites coevolve, and how do social parasites deceive their hosts? provenance
  2. Which entry fits coevolution? action

Ecosystems

Ecosystem roles.

Ecosystems

Ecosystems.

  1. How does parasitism regulate populations and structure food webs? provenance
  2. Which entry fits food webs? action
Health Parasites and disease.

Disease

Parasitic disease.

Disease

Disease.

  1. Which parasitic relationships cause human, animal and plant disease, and how are they controlled, according to health bodies? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about their own infection, which needs a clinician? boundary

Agriculture

Agriculture.

Agriculture

Agriculture.

  1. How are parasitoids used in biological control, and how are parasites managed in livestock? provenance
  2. Which entry fits biological control? action
Learn History and teaching.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did the study of parasitism develop? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Teach

Teaching.

Teach

Teaching.

  1. How can parasitism be taught without misleading metaphors? action
  2. Which misconceptions arise? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.LIV
Other names and narrower kinds
micropredation, kleptoparasitism, social parasitism, superparasitism, slave-making ant, ectoparasitism, brood parasitism, endoparasitism, hematophagy, Xenobiosis, arthropod infestation, leech infestation

What it is Filled

Parasitism is a relationship between species in which one organism, the parasite, lives on or in another organism, the host, benefits at the host's expense, causes it some harm and has structural adaptations to this way of life.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain parasitism as a category of species interaction and its many forms, describe examples across animals, plants and microbes, relate it to ecology, evolution and disease, and support learning.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Asymmetric benefit
  • Many strategies
  • Host exploitation
  • Evolutionary arms races

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Use parasitism as a metaphor to dehumanise groups of people.
  • Give medical or veterinary advice on parasitic infections.
  • Present parasitism as morally bad in nature.

Only with a human decision

  • Control decisions against parasites in animals or crops.

May

  • Explain forms of parasitism with examples and sources.
  • Distinguish parasitism from other symbiotic relations.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Parasite metaphors have been used to justify persecution.
  • Parasitic disease is a major burden for the poorest.

Who is affected

  • People with parasitic infections
  • Groups targeted by dehumanising language
  • Animals

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody: a biological relation.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q121610 - registry parent class
  • Q29017578 - registry parent class

related

  • symbiosis - category
  • worm - parasitic worms
  • snail - hosts of parasites
  • tick-borne disease - diseases spread by parasitic ticks

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.parasitism
  • Wikidata: Q186517 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186517)

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

Not applicable

Parasitism is a biological relationship rather than a physical object or material with intrinsic measurable physical properties.

Recognition required Filled

  • External parasites live on the host surface, while internal parasites live within the host and may not be visible externally.
  • Identification requires evidence of residence on or in a host, benefit to the parasite, harm to the host and structural adaptation to that way of life.
  • Food theft or exploitation of care alone does not establish parasitism in this sense.
  • Predation and mutualism are distinct relationships, and appearance alone may not establish which relationship is present.
  • Not physical as a relation; seen in parasites on or in hosts.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain forms of parasitism
  • describe examples
  • relate to ecology and disease
  • support learning

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Using parasitism as a metaphor for people
  • Confusing ecological interaction types
  • Agents giving medical advice

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Ecological and parasitological terminology
  • Public and animal health rules on parasitic disease
  • No regulation of the concept

Context of use required Filled

  • Symbiosis benefiting one organism at the expense of another.
  • ectoparasitism and endoparasitism
  • micropredation
  • kleptoparasitism
  • brood and social parasitism
  • parasitoidism and superparasitism

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q186517: parasitism - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Parasitism - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should each form be a separate entry?
  • How should ecology resources be linked?
  • How should this entry relate to the general parasitism entry?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q186517/spec.json