Grade 8 Biology Practice Test 2025 - Free Biology Practice Questions and Study Guide

Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both species involved benefit from the interaction. In this relationship, the two organisms contribute to each other's survival or reproduction. An example of mutualism can be seen in the relationship between bees and flowers: bees collect nectar from flowers for food, while simultaneously helping to pollinate the flowers, allowing them to reproduce.

The concept of mutualism highlights the interdependence of species in an ecosystem and how their interactions can enhance the survival of each other. This contrasts with other relationships like parasitism, where one species benefits at the expense of another, or commensalism, where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. In competition, both species struggle for the same resources, which typically does not lead to a mutual benefit.