Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2020 January 7

= January 7 =

relation of human-fungi for antibiotics
In biology, we have many types of relations between two organisms and more (i.g. commensalism, symbiosis etc.). My question is what's called the relation / way of people to take or produce antibiotics by fungi? 93.126.116.89 (talk) 00:11, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
 * It is called Medicinal fungi and Wikipedia has an article about it. -- Jayron 32 12:07, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your comment,  but it isn't my question:). I asked about the relation (I gave a couple of examples for relations in biology: commensalism, symbiosis). 93.126.116.89 (talk) 21:17, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Typically the fungus is destroyed in the process of consuming it. You would call it mycophagy. A non-human animal that consumes another organism for medicinal purpose could be said to be engaging in zoopharmacognosy. Someguy1221 (talk) 21:57, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Why we can't call it Amensalism? see here for example. 93.126.116.89 (talk) 21:21, 8 January 2020 (UTC)
 * If a person or other animal is gaining a health benefit from the interaction, it's not amenalism, which is neutral to one party and detrimental to the other. Someguy1221 (talk) 01:52, 9 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Then it should be parasitism? we are parasite for those fungi?93.126.116.89 (talk) 15:53, 9 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Good question. Fungi are often but not always destroyed in the process, so possibly the same as obtaining milk from cows or honey from bees, but anyway the same as obtaining meat from cattle, flour from wheat or wine from grapes?
 * This would be parasitism but I think we call it differently when we eat an apple and when a caterpillar eats the same apple. 2003:F5:6F05:EC00:CD93:6D9C:AE97:D83B (talk) 14:06, 10 January 2020 (UTC) Marco Pagliero Berlin
 * Parasitism implies the parasite is on or in the host, and that the host is living. Consuming another organism whole thus fails parasitism on multiple levels. It's just eating. Someguy1221 (talk) 05:12, 14 January 2020 (UTC)