Mutualism (biology)

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Mutualism describes the ecological interaction between two or more species where each species has a net benefit. Mutualism is a common type of ecological interaction. Prominent examples are: the nutrient exchange between vascular plants and mycorrhizal fungi, the fertilization of flowering plants by pollinators, the ways plants use fruits and edible seeds to encourage animal aid in seed dispersal, and the way corals become photosynthetic with the help of the microorganism zooxanthellae. Mutualism can be contrasted with interspecific competition, in which each species experiences reduced fitness, and exploitation, and with parasitism, in which one species benefits at the expense of the other. However, mutualism may evolve from interactions that began with imbalanced benefits, such as parasitism. The term mutualism was introduced by Pierre-Joseph van Beneden in his 1876 book Animal Parasites and Messmates to mean "mutual aid among species". Mutualism is often conflated with two other types...

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