Symbiotic Relationship: Termites and Protozoa

A Symbiotic Relationship is where two organisms depend on each other and are both benefited by their relationship. We have been learning about the symbiotic relationship between a termite and it's protozoa which lives in the termites guts. The termite benefits because the protozoans aid in their digestion of wood. The protozoa's get a place to live and survive off the termites. In the lab we did in class, we removed the back side of a termite, enough to pull out it's intestine with a pair of tweezers. Once removed, we studyed the protozoa's under a microscope, discovering what they looked like and their movements. It was interesting seeing the protozoa and how it flowed while under the view of the microscope.

pictures borrowed from Max Parella's Group!