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Thursday 9 June 2011

Symbiosis

Symbiosis is the interaction process between two or more biological species. They’re split into various categories: mutualism, parasitism and commensalism.
Mutualisme is a relationship, where both parties benefit,
Commensalism, in which one organism benefits and the other isn't affected much at all, and
Parasitism, in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed

A mutualistic relationship is when two organisms of different species "work together," each benefiting from the relationship.

Mutualism - Oxpeckers eat the parasites off of large animals like this African buffalo. But they're also parasites themselves, keeping wounds open and picking at scabs.

One example of a mutualistic relationship is that of the oxpecker (a kind of bird) and the rhinoceros or zebra. Oxpeckers land on rhinos or zebras and eat ticks and other parasites that live on their skin. The oxpeckers get food and the beasts get pest control. Also, when there is danger, the oxpeckers fly upward and scream a warning, which helps the symbiont (a name for the other partner in a relationship).

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Mutualism- In Africa, the crocodile needs a plover bird to clean his teeth. Hence, both the animal and the bird have something to win; the plover bird gets to eat the food between the crocodile’s teeth, while the crocodile gets cleaner mouth to keep surviving and hunting.

Cats and dogs for example, they give love and affection to the owner, and they get shelter, food and proper care.

Mutualism - The bee and the flower. Bees fly from flower to flower gathering nectar, which they make into food, benefiting the bees. When they land in a flower, the bees get some pollen on their hairy bodies, and when they land in the next flower, some of the pollen from the first one rubs off, pollinating* the plant. This benefits the plants. In this mutualistic relationship, the bees get to eat, and the flowering plants get to reproduce.

Mutualism -The bacteria and the human. A certain kind of bacteria lives in the intestines of humans and many other animals. The human cannot digest all of the food that it eats. The bacteria eat the food that the human cannot digest and partially digest it, allowing the human to finish the job. The bacteria benefit by getting food, and the human benefits by being able to digest the food it eats.