endosymbiotic
/ˌɛndoʊˌsɪmbaɪˈɑtɪk/
adjective
- Relating to or involving endosymbiosis, where one organism lives inside another's cells.
- The endosymbiotic theory proposes that mitochondria were once free-living bacteria.
- Endosymbiotic relationships are common in marine environments, especially in coral reefs.
- Researchers discovered an endosymbiotic bacterium that helps insects digest wood.