Symbiotic
Symbiotic
Symbiotic (pronunciation: sim-bi-ot-ik) is a term used in biology to describe a close and long-term interaction between two different biological species. The term is derived from the Greek words "syn" meaning "with" and "bios" meaning "life".
Etymology
The term "symbiotic" was first used in the late 19th century and is derived from the Greek words "syn" (σύν), which means "with", and "bios" (βίος), which means "life". It was first used to describe the mutualistic relationship between two different species that live together and benefit from each other.
Types of Symbiotic Relationships
There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
- Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction. An example of this is the relationship between bees and flowers. Bees collect nectar from the flowers for food, while the flowers get pollinated by the bees.
- Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits from the interaction, while the other species is neither harmed nor benefited. An example of this is the relationship between barnacles and whales. Barnacles attach themselves to the skin of whales and get transported to different feeding grounds, while the whales are not affected by the barnacles.
- Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other. An example of this is the relationship between ticks and mammals. Ticks feed on the blood of mammals, which can cause harm to the mammal.
Related Terms
- Symbiont - An organism involved in a symbiotic relationship.
- Host - The organism that a symbiont lives on or in.
- Parasite - An organism that lives on or in a host organism and causes harm to the host.
- Mutualist - An organism that is involved in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Symbiotic
- Wikipedia's article - Symbiotic
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