Antibiosis: definition and examples

He antibiosis term It is used to define all that interaction that occurs between two organisms of different species, in which one of them is harmful and harmful to the other, since it produces a substance that is harmful to the other species. It is, therefore, a biological interaction in which there is no possibility of survival at the same time of certain organisms in the vicinity of others. The harmful effect of all antibiosis is due to the action of a harmful chemical produced by the body that wants to end its competition. Said substance is called antibiotic.

In the next section we will see in more detail different examples of antibiosis that occur in nature, as well as some of the most common and striking antibiotics.

Both in nature and in laboratories, various antibiosis processes lead to the generation of new antibiotics. These substances are able to paralyze development or, cause death to those microorganisms that are potentially pathogens, with bacteriostatic or bactericidal action, respectively.

We see below some of the Examples of antibiosis Between organisms of different groups and species, both between animals and upper plants, and microorganisms:

• He fungus Penicillium He secretes a harmful substance that prevents the life of other microorganisms around him.
• Numerous and diverse insects and host plants of those who feed these.
• Bacteria like Erwinia Amylovora By attacking pears (genus pyrus) and apples (Domestic Malus)
• Relationship between human beings, livestock animals and poultry with different pathogenic agents causing diseases, such as Bacteria of the genres Bacillus, Streptomyces and Pseudomonas, as well as diverse Types of fungi: Candida OleophilaGlioocaldium and Tricoderma genres, Myrothecium Verrucaria and Ampelomyces Quisqualis.

As we have already mentioned, antibiotics are very present in nature and not only in laboratories that produce medicines.

Thanks to the “memory” of the different antibodies that constitute the immune system of organisms, these are able to effectively recognize the presence of bacteria and pathogens that have previously infected the body of the affected animal itself; thus generating, over time, a Antibiotic resistance Used by the competitor pathogen.

In this way, both human beings and the rest of the animals and those plants that are affected by insect antibiotics and other plants, have developed various resistance to harmful chemical substances that served to kill pathogenic bacteria.

Therefore, the world of Antibiosis and antibiotics It is “reinvents” constantly, as if it were a marathon of resistances, pathogens and resistances. It is really surprising how these reactions are happening in the organisms of animals and plants almost intuitively, adapting to the new conditions and risks of pathogenicity and diseases to survive.

Learn more about antibiosis and other interspecific relationships, its types and examples with this other ecology article.

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