What is an example of obligate mutualism?
And—perhaps most famously in the ecology world—they are the sole host plants for two species of yucca moths, which lay their eggs in Joshua tree flowers and nowhere else. The Joshua trees, in turn, completely rely on these yucca moths for pollination. Theirs is a classic case of obligate mutualism. Another example is found within the yucca-yucca moth mutualisms. Cheating sometimes happens when the yucca moth deposits too many eggs in one plant. In this case, the yucca plant has little to no benefits from this interaction. However, the plant has a unique way of sanctioning this behavior.
What is the difference between obligate mutualism and facultative mutualism?
In obligate mutualism, at least one of the partners in the relationship needs the relationship in order to survive. In facultative mutualism, the relationship is not necessary for the survival of either organism. Obligate mutualism is a special case of mutualism where an ecological interaction between species mutually benefits each other, and one or all species are unable to survive without the other. In some obligate relationships, only one species is dependent on the relationship.The relationship between termites and their endosymbionts demonstrates a symbiotic relationship of mutualism.Two unrelated species living close together and interacting for survival is called symbiosis. There are three types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.Mutualism is advantageous for both partners; aphids provide ants with sugar-rich honeydew as a source of food and the ants protect the aphids against various natural enemies and improve the hygiene of the aphid colony.
What is obligate vs facultative?
The key difference is that obligate parasites rely entirely on a host, whereas facultative parasites have the flexibility to survive without one. Can facultative parasites live freely? Yes, they can survive and reproduce in the environment without a host. Obligates cannot complete the life cycle without the host. In contrast, facultative parasites can complete it, and they can live freely by different means and reproduce, facultative parasites necessarily do not infect the cell. In contrast, obligate parasites have to infect the cell for growth and development.
What is an example of an obligate symbiont?
Obligate symbiosis is a symbiotic relationship that both organisms need to survive. An example of obligate symbiosis is the relationship between algae and fungi in lichen. This interaction is also a symbiotic nutrition example, as the algae and fungi depend on each other for access to nutrients. Because each of the partners benefits in the arrangement, the specific symbiotic term is mutualism. In the case of lichens, the relationship is obligate—neither the fungus nor the alga could survive without the other. The fungus cannot make its own food, so the alga photosynthesizes food for its partner.