The Mutualistic Relationship Between Termites and Flagellates
What type of relationship exists between flagellates and termites?
A. The flagellates share a facultative mutualistic association with the termites.
B. The flagellates and termites share an obligate mutualistic association.
C. The flagellates share an obligate parasitic association with the termites.
D. The flagellates and termites share a commensal association.
E. The flagellates and termites share a facultative parasitic association.
Answer:
B. The flagellates and termites share an obligate mutualistic association.
Organisms of the same or different species tend to interact with one another in an ecosystem. The close interaction between two organisms is referred to as symbiosis. A type of symbiotic relationship is mutualism, which is when both organisms benefit from the relationship.
However, mutualistic relationships can be of different types depending on how dependent the involved organisms are on each other. In the case of termites and flagellates, they share an obligate mutualistic relationship. This means that the organisms depend on each other for survival.
The flagellates aid in the digestion of cellulose, which is the primary food source of the termites. These protozoans possess bacteria that produce an enzyme called cellulase, which is necessary for breaking down cellulose into sugars that the termite can absorb.
Conversely, the flagellates depend on the termites to provide them with a safe habitat and a consistent food supply derived from the cellulose-rich wood that termites consume. Without each other, both termites and flagellates would struggle to survive, illustrating an obligate mutualistic relationship between them.