NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The mutualistic association between acacia plants and the ants that live on them is an excellent example: The plants provide food and accommodation in the form of food bodies and nectar as well as hollow thorns which can be used as nests. The ants return this favour by protecting the plants against herbivores.

Detailed explanation-2: -The acacia trees produce specialized structures to shelter and feed the ant colony, and the ants, in turn, defend the tree against herbivores.

Detailed explanation-3: -Ants also form mutualisms with plants, for example by protecting plants from herbivores (like elephants), cleaning parasitic fungi off of plants’ leaves, or dispersing plant seeds. The seeds of bloodroot plants have special structures called elaiosomes that ants like to eat.

Detailed explanation-4: -These acacia trees and the ants that live in them have a symbiotic relationship called a mutualism. The trees make sugary nectar for the ants to drink and special hollow thorns that the ants can live in.

Detailed explanation-5: -Mutualistic relationship is when two different or same species are in a mutual relationship with each other where they work together and benefit each other. For example, ants live and feed on the nectar of the acacia tree and the tree is protected from other insects and grazing animals.