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

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...

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...

Bichon Maltes dog: features

The Bichon Maltes is a breed of toy size, emerged from the Mediterranean, being Italy who took the sponsorship of the race.The origins are associated with Italy, Malta and the island of Mljet (Croatia) even so, its origin is somewhat uncertain.It was the Phoenicians who brought from Egypt to The ancentros of this breed more than 2000 years ago.In the tomb of Ramses II, stone statues can be seen in the shape of the current Maltese.The race was genetically selected to achieve smaller and smaller individuals and thus reach a miniature size. Physical appearance It is a very small dog that usually ranges between 3 and even 4 kilograms, nor will it measure more than 25 cm in height.By its size, it adapts perfectly to apartments reduced.It highlights the single-layer white mantle of Maltes that is smooth, long and silky.The organizations only admit the color white although we can find it with golden spots.It has dark eyes, has long ears, a thick tail and legs short. Character In ...

When to take my puppy to the vet for the first time?

The puppy's first visit to the veterinarian is a moment very important, in which the health status of the child must be evaluated and the dates for the beginning of the vaccination and deworming calendar must be established, essential to prevent the appearance of any pathology. In this first general review The specialist will carry out a complete exploration and it will be the right time to solve the doubts we may have about the care he requires, his feeding or socialization.Do you want to know when to take the dog to the veterinarian for the first time? What tests should we expect? What do they do? Next, in this Animals and Pets Online article we will show you everything you need to know about the first visit to a puppy's veterinarian , but we will also explain what situations they are considered an e Veterinary mergence or many other questions about puppies.You can't miss it! When to take my puppy to the vet for the first time? Puppy dogs, unlike adults, are mu...

Why do black cats are associated with bad luck?

Cats are animals that have experienced a boom tremendous in terms of entering homes as a pet, more and more people are decided by this friendly feline that is gradually gaining our trust based on being an animal that needs little care and in return provide us with great times fun and even fascination. However, in the street things change, especially with black cats, who suffer from the historical stigma of being considered a symbol or augury that is accompanied by bad luck in case of to cross with him.For some time now the origin of this popular belief that in Animal Expert we will try to shed some light on the cause associated with this belief of because black cats are associated with bad luck and also for you to understand that it's just a mit or. Origins of the myth of bad luck caused by black cats It is necessary to go back enough to find the first town that began to put firewood to ignite the myth. In the Iberian Peninsula were the Celts the first that associated the ...

Common blackbird feeding - Care of pigeons and rescued adults

The Blackbirds ( Turdus merula ) are intelligent and affectionate animals that must always live in freedom, in their natural habitat.But, sometimes, we must keep them in captivity.It would be the case of the offspring that we can find outside their nest and that They do not know how to assert themselves because they cannot yet feed themselves, but they may also need help from adults who have an injury or illness. In this Animals and Pets Online article we are going to focus on The common blackbird feeding as a fundamental part of its recovery before releasing it.Do you have a blackbird in captivity rescued? Don't you know which food is most suitable for blackbirds? Then this article interests you, keep reading! Characteristics of the common blackbird The blackbird is a common bird in Europe.It presents sexual dimorphism , which means that the female and the male are different with the naked eye.Yes, the male is totally black and yellow-orange beak and eye ring, while t...

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

Animals with exoskeleton - Names and examples

The body of the largest vertebrate animals is not a mystery to most of people: it is known that it has a skeleton, internal vital organs (heart, brain, etc.), a dermis of variable and organ characteristics through which the five senses are manifested, among other characteristics. However, have you wondered what the invertebrate morphology is like? Then you need to know all about the animals with exoskeleton, names and examples. Don't miss this Animals and Pets Online article! What is the exoskeleton? The exoskeleton is an external structure that covers the body of various animals, including arthropods.It is characterized by being resistant but flexible .This structure It consists of different substances depending on the subfile to which the animal belongs: chitin for insects and fungi, calcium in mollusks and corals or silica in diatoms among other components. In turn, the exoskeleton is formed by three structures : Cuticle : non-cellular layer secreted by the hyp...

How to play with a cat?

The game is a fundamental activity for the cat And it will depend on a healthy physical constitution, as well as a positive emotional state.If you see your cat cleaning itself excessively, eating compulsively or sleeping more than 18 hours a day, you can consider that there is a problem related to stress , which you can help channel with a positive game and interaction routine. In addition, it is often common for domestic cats to have limited hunting behavior , innate in their kind, what usually causes frustration or redirection of the behavior, which is shown as a direct attack on the hands or ankles of the owner. In this article of Animal Expert we will show you everything you need to know about how to play with a cat , recommending toys , they explain Give in detail the feline behaviors related to the game and hunting and also giving you ideas and advice to improve your quality of life.Take note! Why is playing with a cat so important? The lifestyle significantly inf...

How to prevent my dog from scratching a wound?

Do you share your home with a dog? Then surely you will have already realized how complex your pet's health can be, since our furry friends are susceptible to numerous conditions, just as it happens to us. It is important that the owner has some basic knowledge about first aid in dogs, however, we must know that these are intended to perform a rapid and urgent intervention, but not to replace veterinary care.However, so important is that the dog goes to the veterinarian whenever I need it as we do a proper follow-up at home. If your dog has ever suffered a topical injury you have probably asked yourself "How to prevent my dog from scratching a dog? wound ? " In this article of Animals and Pets Online we explain it to you. Scratching and licking the wound When you suffer an annoying mosquito bite you have probably scratched yourself tirelessly, in some cases, we can even cause a slight wound with the scratch, and it is that scratching a wound or injury that caus...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog