Key Terms
- commensalism: A class of relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits without affecting the other
- symbiosis: A close and often long-term interaction between two or more different biological species
- mutualism: A relationship between individuals of different species in which both individuals benefit
Symbiosis is any relationship between two or more biological species. Such relationships are usually long term and have a strong impact on the fitness of one or both organisms. Symbiotic relationships are categorized by the benefits and physical relationships experienced by each species.
Common types of symbiosis are categorized by the degree to which each species benefits from the interaction:
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- Mutualism: In mutualistic interactions, both species benefit from the interaction. A classic example of mutualism is the relationship between insects that pollinate plants and the plants that provide those insects with nectar or pollen. Another classic example is the behavior of mutualistic bacteria in ecology and human health. Gut bacteria in particular are very important for digestion in humans and other species. In humans, gut bacteria assist in breaking down additional carbohydrates, out-competing harmful bacteria, and producing hormones to direct fat storage. Humans lacking healthy mutualistic gut flora can suffer a variety of diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Some ruminant animals, like cows or deer, rely on special mutualistic bacteria to help them break down the tough cellulose in the plants they eat. In return, the bacteria get a steady supply of food.
- Commensalism: In commensalism, one organism benefits while the other organism neither benefits nor suffers from the interaction. For example, a spider may build a web on a plant and benefit substantially, while the plant remains unaffected. Similarly, a clown fish might live inside a sea anemone and receive protection from predators, while the anemone neither benefits nor suffers.
- Parasitism: Parasites are organisms that harm their symbiotic partners. Parasitism is incredibly common in nature: depending on the definition, more than half of all species may go through at least one parasitic stage in their life cycle. There are many well-documented examples of parasitic bacteria and microorganisms throughout this text.
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Symbiosis can also be characterized by an organism’s physical relationship with its partner.
- Endosymbiosis: a relationship in which one of the symbiotic species lives inside the tissue the other. For example, Coral polyps have special algae called zooxanthelle that live inside their cells. Zooxanthelle provide sugars to the coral through photosynthesis. Similarly, nitrogen-fixing fungi often live inside the cells of plants, providing nitrogen in exchange for the sugars of photosynthesis.
- Ectosymbiosis: a relationship in which one species lives on the outside surface of the other. Barnacles that live on whales and bromeliads that live on tropical trees are examples of endosymbionts.
These categories can be paired with the above terms to better describe the species’ interactions. For example, you might say that a gut bacteria is an “endosymbiotic mutualist,” or that a flea is an “ectosymbiotic parasite. ”
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