Parasitism
A relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of another (the host), typically living on or in the host and causing harm but usually not immediate death.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 5 chapters:
"You'll learn about fitness landscapes, Red Queen dynamics (evolutionary arms races), mutualism versus parasitism, and why the "best" company often doesn't win. Book 8: Ecosystem Orchestration How to think about entire markets as living systems."
"...tion is: which relationships are truly mutualistic (both parties benefit), which are commensalism (one benefits, the other is neutral), and which are parasitism disguised as partnership (one extracts value, the other suffers)? This chapter explores how organisms exchange resources across boundaries - and wha..."
"Horizontal transfer borrows. - Symbiosis → Partnerships: Mutualism benefits both parties. Commensalism is one-sided but harmless. Parasitism extracts. Endosymbiosis integrates. - Natural selection → Adaptation: Variation exists. Heritability propagates success."
"Prey haven't evolved strong discrimination because encountering a dishonest signal is uncommon. Brood parasitism: Cuckoos lay eggs in other birds' nests. The cuckoo egg mimics the host's eggs (Batesian mimicry), and cuckoo chicks mimic host chicks' begging cal..."
"...xploit the common host genotype, and all hosts are equally susceptible. Sexual populations produce genetically diverse offspring, some of whom escape parasitism. Over time, sexual reproduction wins the Red Queen race. Escalation and Runaway Dynamics: When Arms Races Don't Stop Some arms races escalate t..."
Biological Context
Parasites include viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, and insects. They often have complex life cycles involving multiple hosts. Parasites can profoundly affect host behavior, evolution, and population dynamics. Parasitism is thought to be the most common lifestyle among animal species.
Business Application
Business parasitism includes bad-faith partners, fraudulent vendors, and employees who extract value without contributing. Unlike predators, parasites prefer hosts that survive.