Question

Define the term symbiosis specifically as it applies in a biological context. Compare and contrast parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism using a specific example of each type of symbiosis. For all three examples, explain how each organism in the relationship is affected.

Answer 1

1) SYMBIOSIS - It is defined as close long term relationships between two organisms. Symbiosis is the interaction between populations of species in a community.

2) DIFFERENCES :-

FEATURE	PARASITISM	MUTUALISM	COMMENSALISM
Definition	It is a kind of negative interaction between two organisms in which one species benefits for growth and reproduction and the other species is harmed	It is a positive, symbiotic relationship between members of two different species in which both members gets benefitted and neither is harmed	It is a symbiotic relationship between two species in which one species benefits and the other neither benefits nor suffers
Result of interaction	Parasite - benefitted ; Host - harmed	Species A - benefitted ; Species B - benefitted	Species A - benefits ; Species B - no outcome
Example	Humans are the parasitic host for the Typanosomes, while tse tse fly is the secondary host. The parasite feed off of the nutrients from the human body and reproduces in order to cause disease	Nitrogen fixing bacteria or Rhizobium live in root nodules of the leguminous plants where the bacteria derives nutrition from the host plant and fixes atmospheric nitrogen and makes it available for the plants	The remora, suckerfish, lives in close association with the sharks or other large fishes. The dorsal fin of the sucker is modified to make it attch to the shark. The fishes get the remaining food that the shark eats while the shark is neither harmed nor benefitted by the small fishes.