Termites get almost all their energy from eating wood and dead plants. Although termites rely on wood for food, they cannot dige
st it. Instead, termites rely on protists called Trichonymphs. These organisms live in their intestines and convert wood particles into food. Even though termites are animals and
Trichonymphs are protists, what do both organisms have in common?
A. Both are eukaryotic.
B. Both have cells with cell walls.
C. Both are autotrophs.
D. Both have a parasitic lifestyle.
Despite the fact that termites are insects that eat wood, termites are not equipped for processing wood all alone. Endosymbionts like trichonympha that live inside the digestive tracts of the termite help with converting over the wood into nutrients that the termite can process.
Trichonympha have the enzymes that can convert cellulose in wood into starches and sugars that the termite can use for their nutrition. In return, these living beings profit by the nonstop supply of energy rich cellulose and an appropriate domain in which to live. Both trichonympha and termites show mutualism.
