Chapter 21.2, Problem 3MI

Summary Introduction

To define: 

Symbiosis. 

Introduction:

In nature every living thing is in interdependency with other species. For example, without photosynthesis, there would be no oxygen to breathe and no carbohydrates. Thus, all organisms depend on food and that food is produced by another species.

Explanation of Solution

The word “symbiosis” was originally coined by a German botanist, microbiologist and mycologist Heinrich Anton de Bary (1831-1888). The word symbiosis is also mutualism. Symbiosis is an interaction between unrelated two species in which both the interacting partners get benefit. For example lichen, a symbiotic association between a fungus and a single-celled alga or cyanobacteria. The fungus protects the algae from unfavourable or harsh conditions and it receives nutrients produced by the algal partner.

Conclusion

Symbiosis is a relationship in which two organisms live together in a close association