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commensalism

 
Dictionary: com·men·sal·ism   (kə-mĕn'sə-lĭz'əm) pronunciation
n.
A symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which one derives some benefit while the other is unaffected.


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Columbia Encyclopedia: commensalism
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commensalism (kəmĕn'səlĭz'əm), relationship between members of two different species of organisms in which one individual is usually only slightly benefited, while the other member is not affected at all by the relationship. For example, some flatworms live attached to the gills of the horseshoe crab, obtaining bits of food from the crab's meals; the crab is apparently unaffected. In many cases commensalism cannot be distinguished from parasitism (see parasite). See also competition; symbiosis.


Veterinary Dictionary: commensalism
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Symbiosis in which one population (or individual) is benefited and the other is neither benefited nor harmed.

Wikipedia: Commensalism
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In ecology, Commensalism is a class of relationship between two organisms where one organism benefits but the other is unaffected. There are two other types of association: mutualism (where both organisms benefit) and parasitism (one organism benefits and the other one is harmed).

Commensalism derives from the English word commensal, meaning "sharing of food" in human social interaction, which in turn derives from the Latin cum mensa, meaning "sharing a table".

An example of commensalism would be birds following army ant raids on a forest floor. As the army ant colony travels on the forest floor, they stir up various flying insect species. As the insects flee from the army ants, the birds following the ants catch the fleeing insects. In this way, the army ants and the birds are in a commensal relationship because the birds benefit while the army ants are unaffected. The D. folliculorum mites living in human eyelash follicles have a similar relationship with their hosts. Orchids and mosses are plants that can have a commensal relationship with trees. The plants grow on the trunks or branches of trees. They get the light they need as well as nutrients that run down along the tree. As long as these plants do not grow too heavy, the tree is not affected.

See also

  • Remora - phoretic fishes that may also eat the scraps off their hosts, though they may also be mutualistic cleaners

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Commensalism" Read more