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Figure 9 – Lichens like this one are an Dutch elm disease is one example
example of mutualism between bacteria or of such a relationship. Trees are
algae and fungi.
infected with a fungus, and lose
A final example of mutualism the ability to gain water. As a
amongst fungi involves certain result of the lack of water, the tree
species of ants and termites. The quickly dies.
ants and termites grow fungi in
underground “fungus gardens.”
The fungi get a place to live, and
the insects get something as well.
When the termites or ants have
eaten a large meal of wood or
leaves, they eat fungus to help
with the digestion of cellulose, a
hard to digest protein found in
plant material.
Figure 11 – This tree has been struck with
Dutch Elm Disease and has lost its ability
to take up water.
In humans, fungi are responsible
for diseases such as athlete’s foot
and ringworm. In both these
diseases, fungi feed on the moist,
outer layer of human skin.
Fungi as Predators
Figure 10 – These leaf cutting ants bring We’ve been using mushrooms and
back leaves to grow a “fungus garden.” mold as examples of fungi, so you
might get the idea that fungi don’t
Fungi as Parasites do all that much activity, and
certainly don’t hunt for their food.
Not all symbiotic relationships The truth is that there are some
involving fungi are mutualistic. As fungi that are predators, hunting
you saw in figure six above, mainly nematodes. Nematodes are
sometimes a fungus benefits at the small worms, and serve as a food
expense of another organism, source for some fungi. In these
making it a parasitic relationship.
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