Symbiology, also commonly referred to as symbiosis, is a principle of bioscience. which is when two species have a long term and close interaction between them. The exact definition is hard to pin point, as scientists are constantly arguing over how it should be classified. One thing that is often thought about symbiosis, however, is that it is considered a type of mutualism (the need for one another in a couple-like state).

The first recording of symbiosis occurred in 1877, when Albern Bernhard Frank used it to describe the mutual bond in lichens. It was defined in 1879 by Heinrich Anton de Bary, who stated it was "the living together of unlike organisms".

These definitions had been under constant scrutiny by scientists. Some scientists said it should only refer to constant mutualisms, or couplings that happen on a regular basis. Other scientists contested that is should apply to all types of constant biological interactions. This includes mutualistic, commensalistic (One organism benefiting from the other without harming it), and parasitic (when one species benefits from the other's suffering). After 130 years, most biology and ecology textbooks use the second definition (Anton de Bary's definition), or an even broader definition.

Endosymbiosis is when any relationship that is symbiotic in nature that lives within the tissues of another, either within the cells or outside of the cells. An example would be nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which can live in the root nodules (the root of the plant). This creates a variation of bacteria known as rhizobia. These are known as the leguminous family in root nodule symbiosis.

Mutualisms is when two species benefit equally or partially in some way from each other. For the most part, only interactions that go on for a life time can properly be considered symbiotic. Anything else is considered mutualism, though in recent years the gap between the two definitions has been shrinking. There are still many biologists, however, that restrict symbiosis to only close mutualist relationships.

Symbiosis has had a large effect on evolution, and scientists can now pinpoint when the symbiotic relationship started and why it started. It is seen as a choosy force behind evolution, with a large number of species having long interactive histories behind it. This is called co-evolution, meaning the two species evolve because of the other.

Co-evolution played a large part in the evolution of flowering plants and the animals that help them spread their pollen. There are many plants that, when they are being pollenated by animals, have specialized flowers to help spread the most amount of pollen possible. Because of this, the animals have also adapted to track as much pollen as they can.

Symbiosis can help lead humanity to the next stepping stone. It shows what working together can do for a single species, and hopefully we will make great strides to understand how certain species co-evolve. With this information, scientists will be able to use it to help humanity.

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