Evolutionary Parasitology - The Integrated Study of Infections, Immunology, Ecology, and Genetics (Schmid-Hempel Paul (Emeritus Professor Emeritus Professor Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ) and Genetic Diversity Centre ETH Zurich Switzerland))(Paper

Parasites and infectious diseases are everywhere and represent some of the most potent forces shaping the natural world. They affect almost every aspect imaginable in the life of their hosts, even as far as the structure of entire ecosystems. Hosts, in turn, have evolved complex defences, with
immune systems being among the most sophisticated processes known in nature. In response, parasites have again found ways to manipulate and exploit their hosts. Ever since life began, hosts and parasites have taken part in this relentless co-evolutionary struggle with far-reaching consequences for
us all. Today, concepts borrowed from evolution, ecology, parasitology, and immunology have formed a new synthesis for the study of host-parasite interactions. Evolutionary parasitology builds on these established fields of scientific enquiry but also includes some of the most successful
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