Symbiosis

Symbiosis is a close, persistent association between organisms of different species. Its effects can benefit, harm, or leave either partner unaffected.

Mutualism: An interaction between species in which both partners benefit. It is the symbiotic outcome in which both organisms gain.
Lichen: A stable association, usually between a fungus and a photosynthetic alga or cyanobacterium. It is a widespread partnership whose participants form a distinctive organism-like body.
Nutrient exchange: The transfer of nutrients between organisms or between organisms and their environment. Partner-to-partner nutrient transfers often sustain mutualistic associations.
Lynn Margulis: An American biologist who developed and championed the modern endosymbiotic theory of eukaryotic cell origins. Her work made symbiosis central to explanations of cellular evolution.
Holobiont: A host organism considered together with its associated microorganisms and other symbiotic partners. It treats a host and its persistent partners as an ecological unit.
Commensalism: An interaction in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. It describes associations where only one partner gains.
Coral–algal symbiosis: The association between reef-building corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellates living in their tissues. It links coral growth and reef ecosystems to photosynthetic partners.
Host–microbe interaction: The biological interactions between a host organism and microorganisms living on or within it. It provides the broader framework for many microbial symbioses.
Endosymbiotic theory: The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from bacteria incorporated into ancestral eukaryotic cells. It explains how ancient symbiosis became a defining feature of complex cells.
Coral bleaching: The loss of symbiotic algae or their pigments from coral tissue, often under environmental stress. It reveals the ecosystem costs when a defining partnership breaks down.

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