Symbiosis

had the opportunity to become involved in laboratory research focused on symbiosis under the mentorship of Vilasini Gaode and Rujuta Jadhav. Water contamination from azo compounds (which are used in the manufacture of textiles) is a major issue in India. My experiments investigated the mechanisms of the degradation of azo compounds with the goal of inducing novel symbiotic events that might be useful for bioremediation purposes. Practically, my role was to isolate and identify specific fungal species from the soil samples. After the colonies matured, I performed biochemical assays to assess whether fungal sub-species could degrade azo compounds. First, we succeeded in identifying a variant of the fungus A. fumigatus as an organism that could degrade azo compounds. Next, we found that A. fumigatus formed a symbiotic relationship with the common water flora P. stratiotes (water lettuce) and together they had broad potential to sequester and degrade azo compounds in water. I found myself intrigued by how ubiquitous symbiosis is in nature and how an organism’s genetics facilitate adaptive processes which enable it to thrive and propagate within its environment. In an effort to investigate biological mechanisms involved in the formation of symbiotic relationships, I began studying genetics in depth. I learned how genes, collectively, build complex organs like the brain, which reminded me of eukaryotic symbiosis. My nascent interest in genetics led me to enrol as a Master’s…

for epigenetic changes, the alien mycorrhizal fungi that may become a parasitic threat can face the challenge of plants’ capacity to adapt their responses to them and be able to change in order to overcome the threats (Gilbert et al., 2010). The successful establishment, unless the mycorrhizal fungi are positively affecting the native plant species are introduced, can require a lot more effort and prevent them from easier adaptations to the new ecosystems. To sum up, the alien mycorrhizal…

and the lifestyle to which it is fitted. 9. What is the principle of competitive exclusion? Of resource partitioning? The principle of competitive exclusion is known to hold that no two species can even indefinitely occupy the same niche in the same community. Because the one species will eventually exclude the other; only as a result of competition for limited resources. But coexistence can only occur; if the overlap in the two species’ own niches is reduced. But when resources are known to…

‘race’ and even to this day, but it is questionable as to whether pollinators alone are sufficient in explaining the early success of angiosperms. Symbioses Symbiosis allows for improved nitrogen supply and, through mycorrhizae, improved soil exploration (Raven & Andrews, 2010). While symbioses are present in both gymnosperms and angiosperms, the distribution of symbiotic fungi tends to be imbalanced. On one hand, gymnosperms are thought to be associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi, which allows…

Midterm Exam 1. The leaf cutter ant community is a large amazing system that contains many different species that interact with each other on many different levels. Although many things take place during this extraordinary symbiosis, there are a few keystone mutualists within this leaf-cutter ant community that without them, the results would be almost catastrophic. For one, fungi are extremely important to the ants. Specifically, the fungus Lepiotaceae . The ants cultivate this fungus and…

Symbiosis or a symbiotic relationship is a close a relationship/interaction between two organisms of different species. The three main types of symbiosis are mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism. Mutualism is the symbiotic relationship where both the species benefits from the other. For example, clownfish live in sea anemones and because of this the clownfish eventually become immune to the paralyzing sting of the sea anemone. The sea anemone gives the clownfish a home and protects the…

necessity. This, does not mean that God is not present in this process as he inhabits the whole of creation: rather, this means that his presence is not recognized as such. By contrast, Christianity is grounded in revelation as the explicit act in history of a non-human free consciousness, something that by its very existence reveals an aspect of God the mythological consciousness was not aware of, namely his ability of acting freely and outside natural necessity. In Christianity, our…

average kind of relationships that come to mind. Relationships occur in nature, and they can come from several different encounters. In Of Mice and Men, a realistic fiction novella by John Steinbeck numerous relationships between the characters occur. These relationships relate to an article named “Living in Sym” which shares concepts of relationships in nature. Of Mice and Men and “Living in Sym” link to each other by Steinbeck showing mutualistic, parasitic, and amensalistic relationships.…

Impacting the Nitrogen Cycle In this paper, I will be examining the nitrogen cycle and my personal impact on it. Firstly, I will briefly discuss the cycle of nitrogen in the biosphere and its importance to all living organisms. Secondly, I will be examining my personal involvement in the nitrogen cycle and the impact those actions have. Then, I will be looking at ways that my actions can be altered to benefit the environment and reduce my negative impact on the ecosystem. Finally, I will…

The mutualistic relationship between fig trees and fig wasps plays an important role for the reproductive fitness of each species. Normally, fig wasps pollenate the fig tree’s compound flowers (syconiums) at the expense of the tree providing a suitable environment for the fig wasps to reproduce in the syconium’s flowers. However, with almost every mutualism there are ‘cheaters’ that will try to take advantage of the benefits without bringing anything to the table. In this case, pollen-free fig…