Symbiosis, as a biological process, refers to the sustained and often co-evolved interaction between individuals of different species, encompassing mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. It involves reciprocal physiological, metabolic, or ecological influences that can alter fitness, resource use, and niche breadth of the partners. Mechanistically, symbioses may include nutrient exchange (e.g., metabolites, fixed nitrogen, photosynthate), protection from predators or stress, and coordinated signaling pathways (such as molecular recognition via surface receptors). These interactions can drive genomic adaptations, including gene gain, loss, or transfer, and can structure communities and ecosystems by modifying energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, and coevolutionary dynamics.
The maternal–fetal interface is the meeting point for maternal and fetal cells during pregnancy. It's long been understood as an area of conflict, where the placenta—a fetal organ—invades the mother to access nutrients.
Evolution
Sep 8, 2025
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62
Plants and microbes often have a symbiotic relationship, relying on each other for nutrients or shelter. Understanding and engineering such symbioses is an essential step in the journey toward tackling global challenges such ...
Ecology
Aug 18, 2025
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130
Many insects live in symbiosis with certain species of bacteria. These bacteria make important contributions to their hosts' nutrition, digestion, detoxification, reproduction and defense. Due to their close coexistence with ...
Ecology
Aug 14, 2025
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34
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have discovered that offspring of burying beetles benefit from having siblings—regardless of whether their parents are present to provide care. This challenges the long-standing paradigm ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 6, 2025
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22
In ecosystems around the world, fungi play crucial roles in supporting plant life. Their ability to form connections between plant roots can enhance water and nutrient uptake and promote plant growth. While fungal symbioses ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 30, 2025
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177
Pleasant tactile stimulation drives social bonding in many animal species, especially mammals. Tactile stimulation forms the basis of the infant-caregiver relationship and often leads to affinity-like behavior, indicating ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 22, 2025
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94
Scientists have long assumed that anemonefish's tight-knit relationship with sea anemones, their protective hosts, was the main engine behind their evolutionary diversification. But the team wondered if other ecological factors ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 16, 2025
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25
Odd plants from a remote Pacific island reveal new insights into an important ecological question: how unrelated and antagonistic partners can form long-term mutualistic relationships with the same host.
Plants & Animals
Jul 10, 2025
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56
Most plants form beneficial relationships with belowground mycorrhizal fungi that help them access soil nutrients in exchange for sugars. These plant-fungal relationships are the most common type of symbiosis in the world, ...
Ecology
Jun 12, 2025
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39
