I want that job! Want to study parasites? Consider a career in parasitology.WHAT'S A PARASITOLOGIST parasitologist a person skilled in parasitology. ? A parasitologist (par-uh-suh-TAH-luh-jist) is a scientist who studies parasites--organisms that live on or inside another organism and cause harm to the host. Parasites affect people's lives in many different ways, from contaminating con·tam·i·nate tr.v. con·tam·i·nated, con·tam·i·nat·ing, con·tam·i·nates 1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture. 2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity. adj. their food to infecting their pets. As a result, there are various career options within this field. Some parasitologists research the biology of a specific parasite specific parasite n. A parasite that habitually lives in its present host and is particularly adapted for the host species. group, while others may focus on the medical aspect of human infection. WHAT DO PARASITOLOGISTS DO? Some parasitologists try to find new ways to cure diseases caused by parasites. Others might study how these tiny creatures affect the environment in which they live, or how changes in the environment might influence the life of a parasite parasite, plant or animal that at some stage of its existence obtains its nourishment from another living organism called the host. Parasites may or may not harm the host, but they never benefit it. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOW DO PARASITOLOGISTS HELP PEOPLE? Parasitologists contribute to society in many ways. To help stop parasitic diseases A parasitic disease is an infectious disease caused or transmitted by a parasite. Many parasites do not cause disease per se. Parasitic diseases can affect practically all living organisms, from plants to man. The study of parasitic diseases is called by parasitology. that can infect infect /in·fect/ (in-fekt´) 1. to invade and produce infection in. 2. to transmit a pathogen or disease to. in·fect v. 1. humans, like mosquito-borne malaria and tick-borne Lyme disease Lyme disease, a nonfatal bacterial infection that causes symptoms ranging from fever and headache to a painful swelling of the joints. The first American case of Lyme's characteristic rash was documented in 1970 and the disease was first identified in a cluster at , medical parasitologists study how these tiny invaders spread and how to control them. Parasitologists also research to find ways to curb the spread of parasitic diseases in domestic animals. And they help farmers grow crops that are free of parasites. Through these efforts, parasitologists save many lives each year. HOW DO YOU TRAIN TO BECOME A PARASITOLOGIST? Many parasitologists are skilled in biology, microbiology microbiology: see biology. microbiology Scientific study of microorganisms, a diverse group of simple life-forms including protozoans, algae, molds, bacteria, and viruses. , ecology, and pathology. Others have medical or veterinary degrees. Parasitologists also need good math skills so they can understand the large amounts of data that they collect during their research. If you plan on becoming a parasitologist, work on your communication skills too. That's because you'll need to write reports in order to share your findings with other researchers. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] HOW MUCH MONEY DO PARASITOLOGISTS EARN? Experience, education level, and place of employment all determine how much a parasitologist earns. The typical salary of a parasitologist ranges between $31,000 and $87,000 each year. However, highly experienced and well-educated parasitologists could make a yearly income of more than $100,000. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] web extra If you are interested in learning more about the various career options for parasitologists, visit: http://asp.unl.edu |
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