Termites feast on wood but they lack the enzymes needed to hydrolyze the polysaccharide cellulose into simpler compounds to provide energy to the termite. Cellulose is found in the cell walls of plants and is a principal component of wood.
Within the gut of termites are microbes that live symbiotically in a relationship known as mutualism. In this feeding relationship, each organism benefits. Various bacteria, archaea and protists reside in the termite's digestive tract. Their job is to break down and release energy from the plant material that termites consume. In return, they receive a place to live as well as a supply of food.
The type of symbiosis described here is obligate symbiosis because without all of the partners present, none will survive.
The relationship between termites and their microscopic inhabitants illustrates how each depends on the other for their survival. It is also an example of co-evolution.
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