Commensalism

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Commensalism

Commensalism (/kəˈmɛnsəlɪzəm/; from Latin com "with/together" and mensa "table") is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast to mutualism, where both organisms benefit from each other, and parasitism, where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

Etymology

The term "commensalism" is derived from the Latin com meaning "with" or "together", and mensa meaning "table". The word was first used in English in 1870 to describe the ecological relationship where one species benefits and the other is not significantly affected.

Types of Commensalism

There are three types of commensalism: inquilinism, metabiosis, and micro-predation.

  • Inquilinism occurs when one organism uses another for permanent housing. The host organism is not harmed in the process.
  • Metabiosis is a more indirect form of commensalism where one organism creates or prepares a suitable environment for the second by its activities or death.
  • Micro-predation is a form of commensalism where one organism takes nutrients from another without killing it, such as a mosquito feeding on a host's blood.

Examples of Commensalism

Examples of commensal relationships include the relationship between cattle egrets and livestock. The cattle egret benefits from the livestock stirring up insects as they move about, while the livestock are unaffected. Another example is the relationship between barnacles and whales, where barnacles attach themselves to the skin of whales to travel and feed, while the whale is not significantly affected.

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