Mutualism: When Nature's Friends Help Each Other

nature · teamwork · ecology · symbiosis

Bees and flowers. When bees visit flowers to drink nectar, they accidentally get covered in pollen and carry it to the next flower, helping plants make seeds. The bees get food, and the plants get help making babies, win-win!

Roots and fungi. Underground, plant roots team up with tiny fungi that help them absorb water and nutrients from the soil. In return, the plant shares sugary food it made from sunlight with the hungry fungi.

Animals and seeds. Trees make delicious fruits so that animals will eat them and spread the seeds far and wide in their droppings. The animal gets a tasty snack, and the tree gets its seeds planted in new places.

Corals and algae. Coral polyps give algae a safe home to live in, and the algae share the food they make from sunlight with their coral partners. This teamwork gives corals their beautiful colors!

Helping each other survive. In nature, lots of animals and plants have learned that working together is better than going it alone, and these friendships help keep ecosystems healthy and balanced.