A cow's rumen, or first stomach, provides the ideal environment for a variety of microbes.When a cow consumes grass, these microbes digest the grass, releasing nutrients, which both they and the cow use.While most of the microbes remain in the rumen, some are killed during digestion and provide additional nutrition for the cow.This complex relationship between the cow and its microbes has features of which two categories of interactions?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The relationship between the cow and the microbes in its rumen involves both mutualism (the microbes digest the grass and release nutrients that benefit both the microbes and the cow) and predation (some microbes are killed during digestion and provide additional nutrition for the cow).

A Cow's Rumen, or First Stomach, Provides the Ideal Environment