Commensalism - Definition, types and examples

In nature there are symbiotic relationships between the different organisms to achieve an end.There are relationships where one of the parties obtains very negative results, as in cases of predation or parasitism.In other relationships, sometimes, not even everyone involved knows that they are part of a relationship.This is the case of commensalism.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will discover the definition of commensalism, we will see what types exist and some examples of commensalism.Keep reading!

What is commensalism?

Biological commensalism is defined as the relationship between two organisms of different species, where one of them benefits and the other does not get anything , neither positive nor negative.of the relationship for one of them is neutral.

Commensalism is a type of symbiosis that, unlike others, such as parasitism or predation, does not result in a negative ending for any of the parties involved On the other hand, the difference between mutualism and commensalism is that, in the first case, both individuals obtain benefits.

Commensalism in microbiology has also been widely studied., in a column of water, microorganisms that live closer to the surface usually benefit from sunlight, essential for their development.Their waste substances travel through the water column until they reach the bottom, where sunlight is scarce and oxygen.Here, anaerobic microorganism (who do not need oxygen to live) take as substances and energy sources the substances that arrive from the surface.

The microorganisms of the bottom benefit from the microorganisms of surfaces, while these do not obtain anything.highlight here the term amensalism .Contrary to commensalism, in these relationships one of the parties is harmed while the other remains immutable.It is the case of certain fungi such as Penicillium , which secrete antibiotics preventing the proliferation of bacteria.

Types of commensalism

When studying the relationships established between living beings, the great variety that exists forces us to subclassify commensalism into three different types, since there is no single way in which the animals of mutualism benefit:

Foresis : the term foresis refers to the relationship that is established between two species when one of them transports the other.In most cases, the transporter He is not even aware that he is transporting another living being.
Tenancy : Tenancy occurs when one species occupies the body of another to live, without causing any discomfort.
Metabiosis : This type of commensalism is very common in the animal kingdom.It occurs when a species feeds on the waste of another, such as its feces or the body itself in decomposition or the case of anaerobic microorganisms that we discussed before.

Examples of commensalism

There are many commensalist relationships in the animal kingdom.Many of these relationships occur between members of this kingdom with organisms from the plant kingdom.Some of these examples are:

1.Comensalism between opiliones and ants

In certain areas of Argentina, where this relationship has been discovered, the climate is very dry, which makes the presence of opiliones impossible, social animals belonging to the order of the arachnids.The ant hills offer a more humid microclimate that favors the opiliones.These live inside the anthill without causing the ants benefits or harms.

2.Comensalismo between the giant lizard of the island of El Hierro ( Gallotia simonyi ) and the yellow-headed gull ( Larus michahellis )

Non-volatile chickens of this species of gull regurgitates part of the food when they feel very full or are bothered by other adult seagulls.Then, the giant lizard will benefits feeding on the regurgitated insects by the seagull chicken.

3.Comensalism between vulgar finches ( Fringilla coelebs ) and black starlings ( Sturnus unicolor )

Starlings, in Leon, to the northwest of Spain, they feed on blackberries in summer.When they eat they drop seeds on the ground or on the leaves of the mulberry.Finches, granivorous animals, search between the leaves and the ground, the discarded seeds for starlings , taking them even directly from the feces of starlings.

4.Canalism among flies and ham mites

This is a very curious example of foresis.Ham dryers sometimes have problems with losacaros, that bite the ham and invalidate it for sale.The hams are hung on the ceiling so the invasion poracaros would seem complicated.These animals are mounted on the flies that they visit the hams.When they arrive at a ham, the mites get off the fly.The flies do not get anything, they do not even realize that they are transporting mites.

5.Comensalism between birds Yarns

Birds that nest in trees get this protection n and a place to build your nest.Trees don't get anything, neither positive nor negative.

If you want to read more articles similar to Commensalism-Definition, types and examples , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Bibliography

GMFH Editing Team.(2015).Women's (bacterium).Gut microbiota for health.
Hernandez, A.(2000).Women's feminism between vulgar finches Fringilla coelebs and starlings Blacks Sturnus unicolor in the consumption of blackberries Morus nigra-.Ardeola, 47 (1), 89-92.
Maury, EA,&Pilati, A.(1996).Riosegundo birabeni (Canals) , 1943) (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae) in anteaters of Acromyrmex lobicornis (Emery, 1887) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).Review of the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences, 142, 1-7.
Siverio, F.,&Felipe, P.(2009).Women's feminism between lizard gig ante de El Hierro (Gallotia simonyi) and yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in the roque Chico de Salmor.Parasitology, 84, 454-456.

Comments

Why does my dog attack me without reason?

Today my dog ran out of the house and I was chasing him until he reached it.This was near a car in which I set the floor and continued to smell.It was this morning, I was in a hurry because I was already late to the school and I had to go back as soon as possible.I grabbed him by the collar and started running, I crouched down, since he didn't bring a leash with me.Then I stopped for a moment because I had dropped something, my dog also stopped and started Snarling, I said "What's wrong with you?" As I lifted the object and out of nowhere it pounced on me, I managed to dodge the first bite, but then I caught my arm and began to shake it without wanting to let it go.I had never behaved like this.I went to tell my father that the dog had gone out and that he needed his help.When he returned with my mother, he told me that she had also taken a bite, but that I was not able to give it.The dog in question is a Shepherd German, we rescued him from the street when he was...

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

14 Animals with feathers - List with names and curiosities

What are the animals with feathers? When you think of feathers, what animals come to your head? You probably remember species such as duck, chicken, hummingbird or ruisenor.Now, do birds only have feathers? The answer to this is yes .Only birds have feathers, this is a feature that allows a species to be included in the group of birds. However, it has been shown that, in the past, some dinosaur species also developed feathers and from them the birds we know descend.Today there is still no definitive conclusion about what caused the change from scales to feathers (thinking about crocodiles, other prehistoric creatures), the different theories plan that it could be due to a process evolutionary to allow the flight of those species of dinosaurs that moved over the treetops and branches through jumps, while others point to thermal protection or attraction mechanisms during the mating season. Despite this, if there is evidence as they point to the dinosaurs belonging to the group ...

Andalusian Bodeguero dog or Andalusian mousetrap: features and photos

The Andalusian bulldog , originating from the province of Cadiz, formerly it was seen in the winery, hence its name, because it kept them free of rodent pests.Precisely for this same reason we know this dog breed as "Andalusian winemaker", "Andalusian mousetrapper" or "buzzard Andalusian winemaker ".Currently, he is a habitual companion of families, especially indicated for those with children, since he is very playful and sociable.If you want to know more about this wonderful and cheerful race, this article of Animals and Pets Online is made for you because you We explain everything about the Andalusian winemaker . Origin of the Andalusian winemaker dog Andalusian winemakers have strong roots throughout the southern part of the peninsula, but especially in the area of Jerez and the entire province of Cadiz in general.They used to work in the wineries., since they are expert rodent hunters , so they kept them free of these small animals that cou...

Can de Palleiro - Character, care and training

The can of Palleiro is the launcher of the breeds of Spanish dogs that develops in Galicia, an autonomous community located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, although is not recognized by any of the most important federations, such as the FCI ( Federation Cynologique Internationale ) or the RSCE (Royal Canine Society of Spain), the Xunta de Galicia and the Can de Palleiro Breed Club have joined forces to give visibility to this exceptional canine breed of Galician origin, which stands out mainly for its virtues as shepherd and guardian dog . In this tab of dog breeds of Animals and Pets Online we will talk in detail about the can of Palleiro, explaining its origins, most notable physical characteristics, habitual character of race, care, basic education and the most frequent health problems.read, you'll be surprised! Origin of the can of Palleiro The canine breed Can de Palleiro develops in Galicia, mainly as a guardian of rural farms and herding of herds ....

Paloma Torcaz: characteristics

The wood pigeon ( Columba palumbus ) is the largest of the pigeons and usually inhabits forested areas.Unlike the domestic pigeon, which can have a great variety of shades in its feathers, the coloring pattern of the wood pigeon is always the same, and the white spots on the neck are never missing. It is increasingly common to see this species of the order of the columbiforms in our cities, that is why in this Animals and Pets Online file we want to talk about this beautiful ave.Discover below everything you need about the wood pigeon : origin, habitat, characteristics, food and reproduction. Origin of the wood pigeon The wood pigeon is native to Europe and Western Asia.They are year-round residents in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Morocco and other countries in the Mediterranean basin.They have a large breeding area in northern Europe, but in winter they migrate to warmer areas of the south. Several subspecies are known, one of them extinct: Columba...

Animals that live in the desert and their characteristics

Animals that live in the Sahara desert The Sahara is one of the largest deserts in the world.It is located in North Africa, and some of its sand dunes can reach almost two hundred meters high.from a dry and dry desert, where you can find some oases around which certain types of animal and plant life develop.Among the surviving animals we can mention: Adax (Addax nasomaculatus) Although formerly the Sahara was one of its habitats, today the adax is in critical danger of extinction, so there is only a small population in countries like Nigeria and Chad. En a kind of antilope that has diminished by indiscriminate hunting.In its old distribution, the adax adapted perfectly to Saharan conditions.It is capable of living with few amounts of water, because it rests during the most hours hot of the day; at night, it fed on the little vegetation found in the desert. Camel arabigo (Camelus dromedarius) Also called dromedary , this is of a mammal in its species, whose main charac...

Why is my cat very aggressive with other cats?

Did you know that aggressiveness Is it one of the most frequent problems in cats? Although obviously not for that reason we must fall into the error of associating cats with aggressiveness, since they are really domestic animals whose behavior is usually very calm.However, a cat is not a dog and therefore does not present the same level of sociability.A cat does not have to accept another cat, on many occasions, it does not even accept the presence of members of the human family in the corners that he considers to be his exclusive domain. These characteristics make up the genuine character of felines, which can sometimes become problematic.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we explain why your cat is very aggressive with other cats and how to act. Why aggression among cats? Have you decided to host more than one cat at home? This can be a good option, since each one will benefit from the presence of the other but, it also increases the risk that cats can develop aggr...

My mandarin diamond plucks the feathers

If this is the first time you have a Mandarin diamond you will probably be very surprised at observe that the feathers are torn off.This type of behavior may be due to several factors that we will detail below. Also, something that you should keep in mind is that if your Mandarin diamond plucks the feathers it will need an extra specific care and feeding. Read on and discover in this article of Animals and Pets Online why my mandarin diamond plucks the feathers and solves this problem that, in the long run, It can be harmful to your health. During laying If we have a male and a female in the same room (especially if it is small) we can easily solve why the Mandarin diamond plucks the feathers: it is because you want to form a nest , that is when the mandarin diamond breeding begins. The mandarin diamond reminds us of a small hen as it is capable of several nests during the year, having a pair of diamonds alone (or several couples) they begin the courtship and the p...

The heat stroke in cats

Heat stroke or hypertemia is an excessive temperature rise body of the cat that can cause damage to your body.In the most serious cases, irreversible damage and even death can occur. For this same reason, It is essential to know the symptoms of heat stroke in the cat as well as the first aid that we must apply or the basic prevention methods. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain how to correctly identify the stroke of heat in cats and we will give you the best tips so you can act quickly if you need to.Keep reading: Causes of heat stroke in cats The usual temperature of the felines is around between 38ºC and 39.5ºC .Once these levels are exceeded, the cat tries to regulate the temperature by sweat on the pads, the genital area , saliva and may even gasp. Some cats are going to be more susceptible than others to suffer a heat stroke and that is that old age, health problems already present or obesity can lead to that the animal has a certain predi...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog