2018 Organisms and PopulationsPopulation Interactions – Amensalism Easy Question 2 of 2 in Population Interactions – Amensalism

Which one of the following population interactions is widely used in medical science for the production of antibiotics?

A Parasitism
B Mutualism
C Commensalism
D Amensalism

The answer is D.

Solution

Antibiotic production is amensalism: one harmed, the other unaffected.

Amensalism/antibiosis (0, –). Antibiotics are chemicals secreted by one microbial group (e.g. $Penicillium$) which harm other microbes (e.g. $Staphylococcus$). It has no effect on $Penicillium$, the organism which produces it.

Concept amensalism-antibiotics

Population Interactions – Amensalism in past papers

2 questions from this chapter have appeared across 2 exam years.