The lichen above is not actually one organism, but a whole bunch of organisms. there are tiny cyanobacteria that live in the folds of the fungus filaments. The fungus gets nutrients from the photosynthesis of the cyanobacteria, and the cyanobacteria get shelter in the fungus. A relationship like this, where two or more organisms benefit from each other, is called mutualism.
No comments:
Post a Comment