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What is the difference between a symbiotic and parasitic relationship?
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A symbiotic relationship is one in which two organisms benefit from each other, while a parasitic relationship is one in which one organism benefits at the expense of another. In a symbiotic relationship, both organisms may benefit, such as when a plant provides food for an animal or an animal provides shelter for a plant. In a parasitic relationship, one organism benefits at the expense of another, such as when an insect feeds on the blood of a vertebrate.