symbiosis, symbioses, symbiotic

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · See Also · Internet References

Water Mite Larvae on Damselfly - Arrenurus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

No Taxon (Glossary)

No Taxon (S)

No Taxon symbiosis, symbioses, symbiotic

Explanation of Names

From Greek: sym (συμ) with, and biosis (βιοσις) living.

Identification

symbiosis noun, plural symbioses, adjective symbiotic - a close and often long-term interaction between different species, i.e., "the living together of unlike organisms". Types of symbiosis are:

mutualism (both organisms benefit)

commensalism (one organism benefits and the other is neither significantly harmed nor derived significant benefit)

parasitism (one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host)

Note that in common usage, symbiosis tends to refer to mutualism or commensalism, as opposed to parasitism.

See Also

parasitism

commensalism

phoresy

myrmecophile

Internet References

Wikipedia--Symbiosis

Marietta College Biology Department--Symbiosis

Contributed by Cotinis on 19 July, 2008 - 7:04am
Last updated 15 June, 2015 - 9:13am

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