"Table" - what is it, definition of the term
The term designates a flat horizontal surface, usually supported by one or more legs, intended to hold objects, and, in data contexts, a structured arrangement of information organized into rows and columns that facilitates systematic storage and retrieval.
Detailed information
A structured grid can present essential characteristics of four ectoparasites—ticks, true bugs, lice, and fleas—allowing rapid comparison. Each row corresponds to a specific organism, while columns capture taxonomy, typical size, primary hosts, disease transmission potential, and key aspects of the life cycle.
- Taxonomic group: Arachnida (ticks); Hemiptera (true bugs); Phthiraptera (lice); Siphonaptera (fleas).
- Typical dimensions: 3–5 mm for adult ticks; 2–12 mm for true bugs; 1–3 mm for adult lice; 1–4 mm for adult fleas.
- Principal hosts: Mammals and birds for ticks; plants and insects for many true bugs; mammals and birds for lice; mammals, especially rodents and pets, for fleas.
- Pathogen vectors: Ticks transmit Borrelia, Rickettsia, and Babesia species; some true bugs carry plant pathogens and, rarely, human parasites; lice are known for Rickettsia prowazekii and Borrelia recurrentis; fleas spread Yersinia pestis and Bartonella henselae.
- Life‑cycle highlights: Ticks undergo egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult stages, each requiring a blood meal; true bugs exhibit incomplete metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult phases; lice develop through egg, three nymphal instars, and adult, all within the host’s coat; fleas progress from egg to larva, pupa, and adult, with the adult stage seeking a host for blood feeding.
A concise matrix summarizing these data points enables professionals to assess risk, devise control strategies, and communicate findings without ambiguity.