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symbiosis

a close, often mutually beneficial relationship between different organisms

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Where does the word "symbiosis" come from? It comes from Greek symbiosis, and was adopted directly into English (1876).

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Where does the word "symbiosis" come from? It comes from Greek symbiosis, and was adopted directly into English (1876).

Symbiosis’s story begins in Greek: symbiosis meant “living together.” Literally living together, from syn (together) and bios (life). It reached English by 1876 as symbiosis. Heinrich Anton de Bary coined 'Symbiose' in 1879 for lichens, fungi living with algae. Today, symbiosis means a close, often mutually beneficial relationship between different organisms.

  1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient symbiosis "living together", literally living together, from syn (together) and bios (life).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1876 symbiosis "a close, interdependent relationship between organisms", Heinrich Anton de Bary coined 'Symbiose' in 1879 for lichens, fungi living with algae.

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