mutualism

Everyday

1. Mutualism is a relationship between two different kinds of living things in which both of them benefit. tree →
2. Examples are bees and flowers, or clownfish and sea anemones. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about ecosystems, food chains and how animals and plants live together. It is one kind of symbiosis; others include parasitism (one is harmed) and commensalism (one benefits, the other is not affected). Phrases: «an example of mutualism».

Examples

• Bees and flowers show mutualism: bees get nectar and flowers get pollinated. tree →
• Clownfish and sea anemones live in mutualism. tree →
• Oxpecker birds eat ticks off zebras; that is mutualism. tree →
• Mutualism means both sides win. tree →
• We drew a poster of mutualism in the rainforest. tree →
• Fungi and tree roots help each other in mutualism. tree →
• The bacteria in your gut and you share a kind of mutualism. tree →
• Is a flea on a dog mutualism? No, the dog is harmed. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Say «MYOO-choo-uh-liz-um». From «mutual», meaning shared by both sides. Do not confuse with parasitism, where one side is harmed.