APROCEAN

 

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A bouquet of buddies, a clump of cooperation…Stentor polymorphus.

These symbiotic ciliates are full of a green algae who produce maltose to share with their host. This makes the ciliates mixotrophic as they can ingest food as well as accepting kind offerings from their tiny, green guests.

Photosynthetic autotrophs like plants are equipped to deal with the production of reactive oxygen species during energy synthesis, however it seems that host ciliates can suffer from oxidative stress if they rely too heavily on their symbionts for energy.

There is still so much we don’t know about these types of relationships. What is known, is that symbioses boost biodiversity by allowing the coexistence of competitors in nutrient-deprived environments and are responsible for the existence of eukaryotic organelles.

Stentor says, “it’s better when we collaborate”.