Parasite with Multiple Roles: Are They Really Beneficial?

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India. Section B: Biological sciences India. Section B: Biological sciences, 2015-03, Vol.85 (1), p.27-34
• Main Authors: Zargar, U. R., Chishti, M. Z., Tantray, Mudasir A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Life Sciences; Nucleic Acid Chemistry; Plant Biochemistry; Review
• ISSN: 0369-8211; 2250-1746
• DOI: 10.1007/s40011-013-0241-3

Parasites represent a major portion of biological diversity of earth because they show high diversity and abundance. They play an important role in ecological functioning as they form important links in food web, which are vital for regulation of host abundance and toxic pollutants. However, it is also a fact that parasites are detrimental for living organisms. In recent years, the importance of parasites has been acknowledged thanks to ecologists who are searching for new and potential environment service providers. Parasites can be useful in a number of ways which include assessment of environmental health, disease therapy, understanding biodiversity and ecological principles, etc. The present review critically highlights the important roles of parasites, envisages the speciality of parasites in an ecosystem and also examines the potential of different parasitic species acting as positive agents. This review will entice more studies on different aspects of parasites so that major roles of parasites are clear in future. However, caution is to be taken while considering a particular parasite for a positive role because positive potentialities differ from parasite to parasite depending on the nature and position of these tiny creatures in an ecosystem.