mutualism

IPA/ˈmjuː.tʃu.ə.lɪ.zəm/
KK[mjˈutʃuˌʌlˌɪzəm]IPA/ˈmjuː.tʃu.ə.lɪ.zəm/

mutualism — 名詞

1. a type of ecological association in which two living things of different kinds e

1.名詞B2
釋義

互利共生

兩物種互相受益的共生關係

a type of ecological association in which two living things of different kinds each help the other to survive, for example by providing food, protection, or help with reproduction.

例句

Bees drink nectar from flowers and carry pollen to other blooms, a form of mutualism.

蜜蜂從花朵吸取花蜜，同時也把花粉帶到其他花朵，這是一種互利共生。

noun: form of mutualism; two-way benefit

Clownfish hide among anemone tentacles while the anemones eat leftover scraps — a classic mutualism.

小丑魚躲在海葵觸手之間，海葵則吃掉魚類留下的食物碎屑——這是典型的互利共生。

while + dash for two-way benefit clause

同義詞
  • symbiosis

    a broader term that includes mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism; often used loosely to mean mutualism in everyday speech

  • reciprocity

    used for mutual exchange in social or economic contexts, not in biology

反義詞
  • parasitism

    one-sided relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed

  • competition

    both species are harmed or one outcompetes the other for resources

用法筆記

The term is mainly used in ecology and biology. It is often contrasted with parasitism (one species benefits at the expense of the other) and commensalism (one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed). As an uncountable noun, it does not take an article: 'Mutualism is common in rainforest ecosystems.'

常見錯誤

❌The two animals have a mutualism relationship.
✅The two animals have a mutualistic relationship.
💡'mutualism' is a noun; 'mutualistic' is the adjective form.
❌Mutualism is when both species help each other.
✅Mutualism is a type of biological interaction in which both species benefit from the association.
💡avoid using 'is when' for formal definitions.