Difference: Parasites vs. Symbiotic Organisms

[Tellie]

What is the difference between a parasite and symbiotic organism? =)

[Mokele]

Parasites are to the detriment of the host, symbiotes are to the host's advantage.

 

Mokele

[-Demosthenes-]

Parasitism is a form of Symbiosis. Symbiosis is where two organisms work together in some fashion; usually it is involved in the lifecycle of the species involved. Symbiosis is sometimes confused with Mutualism, which is a type of Symbiosis; when if fact there are three type:

 

The first and most commonly known type of symbiosis is Mutualism. This is where both species benefit. The second is Commensalism where one benefits and one neither benefits nor is harmed. And the last and sometimes part of a misconception is: Parasitism. This is a form of Symbiosis; it is where one species benefits but one is harmed.

 

Some examples of Mutualism are bacteria in some plants (like pea plants) that make nitrogen and the plant "feeds" the bacteria sugar. One of Commensalism is the fish that holds onto a shark and eats the leftover food when a shark is done, it benefits, but does not help or harm the shark. And Parasitism is something like a parasitic worm or a parasitic bacteria/pathogen.

[Tellie]

Thanks a lot for the help!

[Skye]

A fish attaching itself to a shark is a burden on the shark.

[-Demosthenes-]

There is very little burden on the shark. There is no perfict example, this is one of the examples in my AP bio text book.

[Skye]

I know, I don't think commensalism exists in any real form, it's just part of the theoretical framework.

[-Demosthenes-]

There is no relationship where one participant is unaffected in anyway. When the relationship has one being benefited and one being relatively unaffected, then it is called "commensalism". Sorry for the small misconception.

[hyebeh]

yeah.. commensalism is a kind of grey area.