commensal

Examples of commensal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Dreamtime by Simon Theuma This small, commensal shrimp almost appears to be swimming over a tapestry, but in reality, the technicolor backdrop is the body of a mosaic sea star. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024 Science defines the rat’s relationship to humans as commensal: an association between two species in which one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. WIRED, 7 Oct. 2023 In fact, it’s become clear that many of these commensal bacteria use the glycans studding mucin molecules as a primary source of energy. Diana Kwon, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2019 In commensal domestication, however, humans unintentionally create an environment that attracts the animal. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2016 These samples serve as powerful investigative tools in our pursuit to understand how certain commensal microbes can cause or serve as diagnostic readouts. Anthony Martin, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2016 Danska’s research suggests that the composition of commensal microbes diverges in male and female mice around puberty, so something seems to happen to the bacteria around that time. Melinda Wenner Moyer, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2021 Two species, both carnivores to a greater or lesser extent, with different nutritional needs, could have a commensal relationship. James Gorman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2021 Instead of buying time on the array, Breakthrough Listen is tapping into the data stream while the telescope observes its regular targets—a procedure known as commensal observing. Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, 10 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commensal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Commensal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commensal. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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