Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Science / Biology / Microbiology / Difference Between Photobiont and Mycobiont

Difference Between Photobiont and Mycobiont

July 1, 2019 Posted by Dr.Samanthi

The key difference between photobiont and mycobiont is that photobiont refers to the photosynthetic component of the lichen, which is a green alga or a cyanobacterium, while mycobiont refers to the fungal component of lichen, which is mainly an ascomycete or a basidiomycete.

There are different kinds of symbiotic relationships between living organisms. A symbiotic relationship is an association in which two different species of organisms live together. Moreover, parasitism, mutualism and commensalism are three types of symbiotic relationships. Mutualism is beneficial for both parties. Lichen is such a kind of a mutualistic association that exists between an algae/cyanobacterium and a fungus. In this association, one party is responsible for the production of food by photosynthesis while the other party is responsible for the absorption of water and providing shelter. Based on this, alga/cyanobacterium is known as the photobiont which carries out photosynthesis, while the fungus is known as the mycobiont which provides shelter and absorbs water.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Photobiont 
3. What is Mycobiont
4. Similarities Between Photobiont and Mycobiont
5. Side by Side Comparison – Photobiont vs Mycobiont in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Photobiont?

Photobiont is the photosynthetic partner of the lichen. It is responsible for the production of carbohydrates or food by photosynthesis. It can be a green alga or a cyanobacterium. Both are able to carry out photosynthesis since they have chlorophylls.

Difference Between Photobiont and Mycobiont

Figure 01: Lichen

However, when comparing green algae and cyanobacteria, algae contribute more towards forming lichens with fungi than cyanobacteria.

What is Mycobiont?

Mycobiont is the fungal partner of the lichen; it is a filamentous fungus. It is responsible for the absorption of water and providing shade to the photobiont. Generally, fungi of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes form this kind of symbiotic association with algae or with cyanobacteria.

Key Difference - Photobiont vs Mycobiont

Figure 02: Photobiont and Mycobiont in a Lichen

Generally, only one species of fungi can be seen in lichen. Thus, it can be either an ascomycete or a basidiomycete.

What are the Similarities Between Photobiont and Mycobiont?

  • Photobiont and mycobiont are two components which live together in a lichen.
  • Moreover, they are in a mutualistic association with each other.
  • Hence, both are beneficial to each other.
  • They live for a long time while growing slowly.

What is the Difference Between Photobiont and Mycobiont?

Photobiont and mycobiont refer to the photosynthetic partner and fungal partner in a lichen, respectively. So, this is the key difference between photobiont and mycobiont. Usually, photobiont carries out photosynthesis and produces food, while mycobiont absorbs water and provides shelter to the photobiont. Therefore, this is the functional difference between photobiont and mycobiont.

Moreover, photobiont is usually an alga or a cyanobacterium, while mycobiont is usually an ascomycete or a basidiomycete.

Difference Between Photobiont and Mycobiont in Tabular Form

Summary – Photobiont vs Mycobiont

Lichen has two components as photobiont and mycobiont. Photobiont refers to the photosynthetic component, while mycobiont refers to the fungal component of the lichen. Usually, photobiont is an alga or a cyanobacterium which is photosynthetic. On the other hand, mycobiont is usually an ascomycete or a basidiomycete. Thus, this summarizes the difference between photobiont and mycobiont.

Reference:

1. “Lichen.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 Sept. 2018, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “A little lichen” By Bradley Davis (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “05 02 interactions green alga (green), fungal hypha, lichen, Lichenes (M. Piepenbring)” By M. Piepenbring – (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

Related posts:

Difference Between Molds and YeastsDifference Between Molds and Yeasts Difference Between Germ Theory and Terrain TheoryDifference Between Germ Theory and Terrain Theory Difference Between Virus and VirionDifference Between Virus and Virion Difference Between Black Mold and MildewDifference Between Black Mold and Mildew Difference Between Binary Fission and Multiple FissionDifference Between Binary Fission and Multiple Fission

Filed Under: Microbiology

About the Author: Dr.Samanthi

Dr.Samanthi Udayangani holds a B.Sc. Degree in Plant Science, M.Sc. in Molecular and Applied Microbiology, and PhD in Applied Microbiology. Her research interests include Bio-fertilizers, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Molecular Microbiology, Soil Fungi, and Fungal Ecology.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Response and Respond

Difference Between Ramayana and Mahabharata

Difference Between White Mold and Black Mold

Difference Between White Mold and Black Mold

Difference Between Bundle of His and Purkinje Fibres

Difference Between Bundle of His and Purkinje Fibres

Difference Between Fajita and Taco

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Coconut Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil
  • What is the Difference Between Wintrobe and Westergren Tube
  • What is the Difference Between Coarctation and Hypoplastic Aortic Arch
  • What is the Difference Between Acquired Brain Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury
  • What is the Difference Between Sensory and Cerebellar Ataxia
  • What is the Difference Between Corneal Ulcer and Corneal Opacity
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.