Abstract
Summary Intracellular symbiosis between invertebrates and microalgae occurs in a wide range of host species and probably involves an almost equally wide range of algal species. Despite this diversity, in almost every case these associations exhibit the following properties: symbiotic algae release photosynthetically fixed carbon to their hosts; symbiotic algae utilize ammonium excreted by hosts; and growth of symbionts is closely regulated to that of hosts. Interactions between host and symbiont are discussed in terms of these common properties. It is concluded that although the origins of these symbioses are unclear, development of mechanisms constraining algal cell division were crucial in the evolution of stable, sustain-able and intimate relationships between very different species.
Published Version
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