In ecology, commensalism is a kind of relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is not significantly harmed or helped (like a bird living in a tree). The term derives from the English word commensal, meaning "sharing of food" in human social interaction; that word derives from the Latin com mensa, meaning "sharing a table". For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ...

Types

As with all ecological interactions, commensalisms vary in strength and duration from intimate, long-lived symbioses to brief, weak interactions through intermediaries. Originally it was used to describe the use of waste food by second animals, like the carcass eaters that follow hunting animals but wait until they have finished their meal. Other forms of commensalism include: For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... For other uses, see Symbiosis (disambiguation). ...

Phoretic mites on a damselfly

• Phoresy: One animal attaching to another animal for transportation only. This concerns mainly arthropods, examples of which are mites on insects (such as beetles, flies, or bees), pseudoscorpions on mammals^[1] and millipedes on birds.^[2] Phoresy can be either obligate or facultative (induced by environmental conditions).
• Inquilinism: Using a second organism for housing. Examples are epiphytic plants (such as many orchids) which grow on trees, or birds that live in holes in trees.
• Metabiosis: A more indirect dependency, in which the second organism uses something the first created, however after the death of the first. An example is the hermit crabs that use gastropod shells to protect their bodies.

The question of whether the relationship between humans and some types of our gut flora is commensal or mutualistic is still unanswered. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Families Amphipterygidae Calopterygidae - Demoiselles Chlorocyphidae - Jewels Coenagrionidae - Pond Damselflies Dicteriadidae - Barelegs Euphaeidae - Gossamerwings Hemiphlebidae - Reedlings Isosticidae - Narrow-wings Lestidae - Spreadwings Lestoididae Megapodagrionidae - Flatwings Perilestidae - Shortwings Platycnemidae - Brook Damselflies Platystictidae - Forest Damselflies Polythoridae - Bannerwings Protoneuridae - Pinflies Pseudostigmatidae - Forest Giants Synlestidae - Sylphs The Damselfly (Suborder Zygoptera) is an insect in the Order... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Mites, along with ticks, belong to the subclass Acarina (also known as Acari) and the class Arachnida. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fly (disambiguation) and Flies (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Western honey bee and Bee (disambiguation). ... A pseudoscorpion, (also known as a false scorpion or book scorpion), is an arachnid belonging to the order Pseudoscorpionida, also known as Pseudoscorpiones or Chelonethida. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria For the folk-rock band see The Mammals. ... For other uses, see Millipede (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... In zoology, an inquiline is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... In ecology, commensalism is an interaction between two living organisms, where one creature benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped. ... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ... Subclass Subclass Eogastropoda     Patellogastropoda Subclass Orthogastropoda   Superorder Cocculiniformia   Superorder Hot Vent Taxa     Neomphaolida   Superorder Vetigastropoda   Superorder Neritaemorphi     Neritopsina   Superorder Caenogastropoda     Architaenioglossa     Sorbeoconcha   Superorder Heterobranchia     Heterostropha     Opisthobranchia     Pulmonata The gastropods, or univalves, are the largest and most successful class of mollusks, with 60,000-75,000 species, and second largest class... Escherichia coli, one of the many species of bacteria present in the human gut. ... In biology, mutualism is an interaction between two or more species, where both species derive benefit. ...

Some biologists argue that any close interaction between two organisms is unlikely to be completely neutral for either party, and that relationships identified as commensal are likely mutualistic or parasitic in a subtle way that has not been detected. For example, epiphytes are "nutritional pirates" that may intercept substantial amounts of mineral nutrients that would otherwise go to the host plant.^[3] Large numbers of epiphytes can also cause tree limbs to break or shade the host plant and reduce its rate of photosynthesis. Similarly, the phoretic mites in the image above may hinder their host by making flight more difficult, which may affect its aerial hunting ability or cause it to expend extra energy while carrying these passengers. In biology, mutualism is an interaction between two species in which both species derive benefit. ... This article is about a relationship between organisms. ... An example of an epiphyte assemblage of orchids and bromeliads in a garden setting The term epiphyte refers to any plant that grows upon or attached to another living plant. ...

See also

Look up Commensalism in
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• Myrmecophile

Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... A myrmecophile is a type of organism, usually an insect, that habitually shares ant nests. ...

References

1. ^ Lance A. Durden (2001) Pseudoscorpions Associated With Mammals in Papua New Guinea. Biotropica, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 204–206.
2. ^ Karel Tajovsky et al. (2001) Millipedes (Diplopoda) in birds’ nests. European Journal of Soil Biology, vol. 37, pp. 321–323.
3. ^ Benzing, D.H. 1980. Biology of the Bromeliads. Eureka, California: Mad River Press.