Question

Parasitic bacteria are predominantly
A) Intracellular
B) Intercellular
C) Obligate
D) None of the above

Answer 1

The word parasite is used to define organisms that depend on other organisms for nourishment and shelter. The organisms from whom they benefit are called hosts.

Complete answer:
Parasites are mostly quite smaller than their host and live either on the surface of the host or inside them. Parasites are highly specific for their particular kind of hosts and their reproduction rate is much higher than their hosts. Parasites utilize the host for their own survival and many times cause harm to the host in the process. Parasites can be of various kinds starting from those that belong to the animal kingdom to minute viruses. Animal parasites generally involve helminths, arthropods which can either be intracellular or extracellular ones. Next is plant parasites which can either be hemiparasites ( that may or may not depend on a host for survival ) or holoparasite ( depends on a host for survival). Fungi can also act as parasites to other fungi, plants or animals. They are mostly saprophytic. Protozoan parasites are mostly endoparasites that live inside the host. Bacterial parasites can be either intracellular or extracellular but mostly they are intracellular. Viruses are mostly obligate intracellular parasites and can affect a wide range of organisms.

Hence the correct option is (A) Intracellular.

Note: Knowledge about parasites are required as they are an important class of organisms that are capable of causing diseases in their hosts. thus a knowledge about their location and mode of action gives us a way of treating them.