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  • Understanding Symbiotic Relationships: Mutualism, Commensalism & Parasitism
    There are actually three main types of symbiotic relationships, not factors:

    1. Mutualism: Both organisms benefit from the interaction.

    * Example: Bees pollinate flowers, getting nectar as food, and the flowers are pollinated, allowing them to reproduce.

    2. Commensalism: One organism benefits, while the other is neither harmed nor helped.

    * Example: Barnacles living on a whale's skin. The barnacles get a place to live and food, while the whale is not affected.

    3. Parasitism: One organism benefits at the expense of the other.

    * Example: A tapeworm living inside a human's intestines. The tapeworm gets nutrients from the human, while the human can experience health problems.

    It's important to remember that these categories are not always clear-cut, and some relationships might fall somewhere in between.

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