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Lichen

About microscopic forms of life, including Bacteria, Archea, protozoans, algae and fungi. Topics relating to viruses, viroids and prions also belong here.

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Lichen

Postby opuntia » Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:41 am

In a Lichen, the fungus [mycobiont] and the algae[ and/or]the cyanobacteria [photobiont] are living symbiotically...what kind of symbiosis is there between them[parasitic or mutualistic]?


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Postby victor » Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:34 pm

I think it's mutualistic..the fungus got more nitrogen gas (N2) that is accumulated by Algae while Algae got the food from the fungus..that's what I think.. :wink:
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Postby mith » Tue Jun 21, 2005 3:36 pm

The algae photosynthesizes and the lichen protects it from heat and drying out and also anchors it to the rock/tree.
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Postby MrMistery » Tue Jun 21, 2005 5:34 pm

Mithril is right. Plus, the fungus gives the algae water. So it is deffinetly mutualistic. Actually a lichen is the classic example of mutualistic symbiosis
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