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RE: Can we regard a foetus (embryo) as a parasite?

in #stemq6 years ago

parasitism involves a parasite and a host that are two different species, and in which the parasite gains at the expense of the host. While a fetus is gaining physiologically at the expense of the mother, it is a single-species arrangement and the mother is gaining from an evolutionary basis by propogating genetic information into an offspring. So, it is not even an asymmetric relation like parasitism. No, a fetus (of the same species as the parent) is not a parasite.

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Hi @cade.johnson,

While short I think your comment has enough information that you could post it as a small answer post.

Let me know if I can provide further guidance.

Cheers,

@irelandscape