Page 308 - parasitology for medical and clinical laboratoryprofessionals

288 GLOSSARY

Apterygotes Insects without flying wings; may have vestiges Bilharziasis Also known as schistosomiasis, is a disease of
such as wing pads. nematodes contracted in fresh water in the Eastern countries.
Arachnida Class that includes spiders, scorpions, ticks, and Binucleate Having two nuclei as occurs in some protozoa.
mites. Biological life cycle A life cycle includes one generation of
Arboviruses Examples of these organisms are those that an organism; refers to reproduction of both sexual and asexual
cause yellow fever and viral encephalitis; may reproduce in means; includes hosts, reservoirs.
both mammals and ticks. Bioterrorism Use of microorganisms to kill or incapacitate
Argasidae Tick family called soft-bodied ticks; appear shriv- large segments of a population.
eled before becoming engorged by blood. Biting midge Certain species of the midge are serious biting
Arteriolitis Inflammation of the arteries and arterioles. pests, and can spread diseases to livestock.
Arthralgia Joint pain; may include all synovial joints and Blackflies Small, dark flies that can give a painful bite, but
vertebra. unlike a mosquito which sucks up blood, blackflies break the
Arthropods Refers to insects with jointed legs, as well as skin and lap up the pooled blood; carry a variety of filarial dis-
other members of families of animals with jointed legs and hard eases, particularly onchocerciasis.
segmented bodies (includes crustaceans, spiders, and insects). Bladder worms Larval forms of tapeworms (Cestodes) that
Ascariasis A condition of being infected with a parasite of the inhabit a cyst formed in tissue; bladder worms include pork
genus Ascaris. tapeworms, broad fish, and dog tapeworms.
Ascites A medical condition in which fluids build up chiefly Blastomeres Cells resulting from fertilized ovum that has
in the abdominal cavity. split (cleaved).
Asexual Non-sexual; often refers to process of reproduction. Blood flukes Schistosomal infections referred to as blood
Aspergillosis Diseases of humans and animals caused by flukes or bilharzia.
mold fungus from the Aspergillus family. Boophilus Genus of ticks transported to the New World by
Asplenic Condition of lacking a spleen; spleen removed by Spanish colonialists; transmit bovine babesiosis.
surgery (splenectomy). Borreliosis Any of a number of diseases spread by the genus
Asthma Chronic and sometimes allergic inflammation of the Borrelia; chiefly spread by insect vectors.
lungs where airways (bronchi and bronchioles) are narrowed. Bothria Cestodes that attach to the intestines have muscular
Asymptomatic carrier Organism infected with a pathogen grooves that provide attachment by grasping host tissue be-
that shows no symptoms itself of being infected but is capable tween them.
of infecting other animals or humans. Brightfield microscopy General use microscopes that
Australian paralysis ticks Of the genus Ixodes, the tick se- are not electron, phase contrast, dark field, or polarized light
cretes a poisonous saliva that may cause severe paralysis and death. instruments.
Avian malaria Most caused by Plasmodium relictum, and Bronchioles Smaller division of the bronchi that have no car-
infects tropical birds. tilage in the walls.
Axoneme An inner, central core, usually bisecting the organ- Bronchoconstriction Reduction in air flow of small airways
ism that provides skeletal structure and carries a whip-like of the respiratory system.
appendage (cilia or flagella). Brown dog tick Can complete its entire life cycle indoors but
Axostyle Simple supporting structure that runs through the is not known to be a major transmitter or disease organisms.
body of a trichomonad and protrudes at the posterior end. Brucellosis Refers to an infectious disease caused by a bacte-
rium of the genus Brucella.
B Bubo Swelling of the lymph nodes found primarily in diseases
such as bubonic plague, gonorrhea, TB, or syphilis; may appear
Babesiosis A category of tick-borne disease including hu- as a large blister often occurring in the armpit, groin, or neck.
mans and cattle, dogs, horses, sheep, and swine, and is caused Bubonic plague Bacterial disease caused by the bacterium
by a babesia protozoan. Yersinia pestis (previously Pasturella pestis).
Bacillus Bacterial strain with a rod-shaped morphology. Bull’s eye rash A rash from infected ticks; chiefly refers to
Balkh sore Skin break caused by cutaneous leishmaniasis; Lyme disease, although the phenomenon may be present in
traced to the ninth century. other tick-borne diseases.
Bedbug A wingless bloodsucking hemipterous insect,
Cimex lectularius, with flattened body morphology, that infests C
houses, furniture, and beds.
Benzene hexachloride Insecticide used in agriculture and Calcifies Calcium salts build up in various soft tissues, result-
as treatment for lice and scabies. ing in hardening.
Bile Composed mostly of cholesterol and formed in the liver, Canid species Includes dogs, foxes, wolves, and coyotes.
bile is a bitter, alkaline, greenish to yellow fluid that facilitates Carcinomata Plural term for cancers or malignancies.
breakdown of fats; in Asia, chronic infection of the biliary sys- Cardiac failure Failure based on the heart’s inability to
tem occurs when parasitic infections are found in the bile ducts, effectively pump blood to organs of the body; trichinosis is the
causing increased bilirubin in the blood of these victims. most common cause of cardiac involvement; trichinosis and