Fundamentals of Microbiology

4.1.2 Symbiosis

Symbiosis is an association of two or more different species. Microorganisms can be physically associated with other organisms in a number of ways:

1. Ectosymbiosis-microorganism remains outside the other organism;

 2. Endosymbiosis-microorganism is found within the other organism;

3. Ecto/ endo symbiosis-microorganism lives both on the inside and the outside of the other organism.