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mutualism
[ myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm ]
noun
- a relationship between two species of organisms in which both benefit from the association.
- the doctrine that the interdependence of social elements is the primary determinant of individual and social relations, especially the theory that common ownership of property, or collective effort and control governed by sentiments of brotherhood and mutual aid, will be beneficial to both the individual and society.
- Sociology. the force or principle of mutual aid.
mutualism
/ ˈːʃʊəˌɪə /
noun
- another name for symbiosis
mutualism
/ ̅̅′̅̅-ə-ĭ′əm /
- A relationship between two organisms in which each of the organisms benefits.
- ◆ In obligate mutualism the interacting species are interdependent and cannot survive without each other. The fungi and algae that combine to form lichen are obligate mutualists.
- ◆ In the more common facultative mutualism the interacting species derive benefit without being fully dependent. Many plants produce fruits that are eaten by birds, and the birds later excrete the seeds of these fruits far from the parent plant. While both species benefit, the birds have other food available to them, and the plants can disperse their seeds when the uneaten fruit drops.
- Compare amensalism
Derived Forms
- ˈܳٳܲ, nounadjective
- ˌܳٳܲˈپ, adjective
Other yvlog Forms
- t·· noun
- t··t adjective
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of mutualism1
Compare Meanings
How does mutualism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
The Kobe University discovery blurs the line between mutualism and parasitism and sheds light on the evolution of complex plant-insect interactions.
In return for their home, the ants ferociously defend the trees from gigantic plant eaters, like elephants, giraffes and other herbivores -- an arrangement ecologists call mutualism.
The research provides critical insight into the complex communication involved in human-animal partnerships, says Oregon State University’s Mauricio Cantor, an expert in mutualism who was not involved in the study.
Technically, that’s mutualism, a subset of symbiosis in which both creatures get something from the deal.
We domesticated each other, through coevolution and mutualism, a symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved.
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