INQUILINE Meaning and
Definition
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The term "inquiline" refers to a biological relationship in which one organism lives within or takes advantage of the resources of another organism without causing harm or killing it. It commonly refers to a species that dwells commensally within the home or habitat of another species. The inquiline organism benefits from this association, utilizing the host's nest, burrow, or cavity for protection, shelter, or resources.
Inquilines are often observed in the animal kingdom, where various organisms find shelter within the nests or burrows of other species. For example, certain species of birds are known to construct nests on top of the existing nests of other birds, utilizing the advantageous efforts made by the original nest builder without causing any harm. Another example is the inquiline termites that reside within the nests of other termite species. Similarly, some insects like beetles or mites live within the galleries excavated by wood-boring insects or within the nests of ants.
Unlike parasites, inquilines do not rely on their host for food, as they often have their own independent sources of sustenance. Inquilinism is an interesting form of symbiotic relationship where the inquiline benefits from utilizing the physical structure or resources provided by another organism, while the host neither benefits nor suffers any significant harm from this association.
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A variety of parasite which lives in the shelter provided by the other (as an oyster-crab within the shell of the oyster), but does not necessarily derive its food from its host, being often a commensal.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for INQUILINE
- unquiline
- jnquiline
- knquiline
- onquiline
- 9nquiline
- 8nquiline
- ibquiline
- imquiline
- ijquiline
- ihquiline
- in1uiline
- in2uiline
- inwuiline
- inauiline
- inqyiline
- inqhiline
- inqjiline
- inqiiline
- inq8iline
Etymology of INQUILINE
The word "inquiline" comes from the Latin term "inquilinus", which is a combination of "in" (meaning "into" or "in") and "colere" (meaning "to dwell" or "to inhabit"). In ancient Rome, an "inquilinus" referred to someone who lived in a rented house, paying rent to the owner. Over time, the term evolved and is now used in a biological context to describe an organism that lives in the dwelling or nest of another organism without harming it.
Similar spelling words for INQUILINE
- anguillan,
- incline,
- anglona,
- unclean,
- Angaline,
- anchialine,
- winkeljohn,
- englyn,
- anglin,
- INCLN,
- ENGLAN,
- dis-incline,
- Inclan,
- Anglen,
- anglian,
- angolan,
- incluyen.
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