One organism lacks a required product supplied by another.
Operational definition
Dependency category.
A condition in which growth, survival, or completion of a required metabolic pathway depends on a substance or electron flow supplied by another organism under the specified conditions.
The dependency may involve:
- an amino acid;
- vitamin;
- cofactor;
- organic acid;
- gas;
- electron acceptor removal;
- electron transfer;
- fixed nitrogen;
- photosynthate.