Words to Ponder

[LeslieS]

OK, thanks to Deanos we have been introduced in another thread to:

mutualism: an interaction between two or more species where both species derive benefit.

Commensalism: a type of symbiosis between two kinds of organisms in which one is benefited by the relationship and the other is neither benefited nor harmed.

The example given was that if you have a clown that feeds its anemone you have an example of mutualism. If your clown is lazy and does not feed the anemone but does use him for shelter, you have commensalism.

Now for a new word!

Habituation: familiarization, in the context of conditioning; a type of learning that takes place when an individual is repeatedly exposed to low-level stimuli and loses its sensitivity to them; once the stimulus is gone, the habituation also declines and may completely disappear.

When we acclimate mollies to salt water, we are making biological change in their system in that we are changing the osmotic capacity of their cells. These are long term changes that are ultimately reversable as opposed to a very short term adaptation to a temporary stimulus. (Example provided by Lissa

If you think these are good words for reefers to know, BUMP this thread. You know we only read what is on the MR front page ;-)

 

[steveo32]

LOL Leslie I think this a great thread, it and easy way for us lazy folk to expand our vocabulary.

 

[ellebelle]

They are good words for reefers to know, though I think I would use "acclimate" as opposed to "habituate" for the example of moving coral. The difference is slight, but important.

In biology, when we use the word "habituate", it indicates that our bodies have simply stopped responding to a stimulus. For instance, in humans that might be a bad smell in a room. You'll notice if you walk into a room, it smells very bad. But, with time, you stop smelling it. Exit the room and re-enter, and you have to habituate yourself all over again. No real biological change occurs there - it's just that your brain stops processing the signal.

When we acclimate something, it indicates some sort of biological change occuring. For instance, in humans, as we acclimatize to higher altitude environments (= low oxygen), there are fundamental biological changes that occur in our bodies. For instance, the oxygen transport in our blood becomes more efficient. When we acclimate mollies to salt water, we are making biological change in their system in that we are changing the osmotic capacity of their cells. These are long term changes that are ultimately reversable as opposed to a very short term adaptation to a temporary stimulus.

I think in the case of getting corals used to different light conditions, the word acclimate would be better because we are affecting a biological change to a long term stimulus - the zooxanthellae are expelled or retained according to the amount of light present. This represents a fairly major biological change to the coral.

 

[LeslieS]

Good point Lissa - I have changed the example to your mollies

 

[Quang]

I like the word Mutualism.
We could actually use that one outside the reef hobby and not sound like wierdos.

Great clarification Lissa!
Sigh, learn something new everyday.

 

[ellebelle]

I wish all of my students grasped the difference as quickly as you guys did. :hug: