Question

Distinguish between the interactions commensalism and amensalism.

Answer 1

Commensalism is the association in which one organism is benefited and other is unaffected i.e. neither benefited nor harmed. For example, cattle egrets and livestock, shark and remoras etc. While the opposite is amensalism in which one organism is harmed and other is unaffected such as in antibiosis one organism secretes chemicals that kill another organism but the one who is secreting the chemical is unaffected i.e. occurs in many bacteria and fungi.