endosymbiosisn.
/ˌɛndəʊˌsɪmbʌɪˈəʊsɪs/, /ˌɛndəʊˌsɪmbɪˈəʊsɪs/, U.S. /ˈˌɛndoʊˌsɪmbaɪˈoʊsəs/, /ˌɛndoʊˌsɪmbiˈoʊsəs/ Biology.
A form of symbiosis in which one organism lives inside another; an instance of this.
ΚΠ
1932 Biol. Abstr. 6 2363/1 New cases of endosymbiosis are reported in which a ‘Blaualge’, ‘cyanella’..lives symbiotically within the cell of another alga.
1947 E. A. Steinhaus Insect Microbiol. iv. 206 Similarly ingenious methods of transfer occur with the intracellular organisms. They are sometimes known as ‘cyclic endosymbioses’.
1972 Amer. Naturalist 106 469 The endosymbioses of Paramecium with bacterial species may provide some species of Paramecium with a mechanism of interference.
2000 Nature 4 May p. ix/1 Recent data..support the idea that a single primary endosymbiosis between a cyanobacterium and a eukaryotic host gave rise to both the red algae and to green algae and plants.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1932