Which one of the following is categorised as a parasite in true sense?
- The female Anopheles bites and sucks blood from humans
- Head louse living on the human scalp as well as laying eggs on human hair
- The cuckoo (koel) lays its eggs in crow's nest
- Human foetus developing inside the uterus draws nourishment from the mother
Answer
(2) Head louse living on the human scalp as well as laying eggs on human hair
Solution
A true parasite lives on (or in) the host for a long time, depends on it for food and shelter, and harms it.
⇒ Female Anopheles only visits the host briefly to suck blood; it does not live on the host.
⇒ The cuckoo is a brood parasite (only its eggs are raised by the crow).
⇒ The human foetus is not a different species, so it is not a parasite.
⇒ As per NCERT, lice on humans are ectoparasites: the head louse lives on the scalp, feeds on the host and lays its eggs on the hair.
Answer: (2)