Colony (biology)

A colony, in biology, is a term widely used as a group of living beings organized on a cooperative basis.

Description

Many lower invertebrates are colonial, such as many hydrozoans and anthozoans (corals), or bryozoans; Various individuals, called zooids, live more or less fused and, in some cases, there are various types of zooids specialized in different functions (feeding, defense, reproduction).

In the case of social insects such as bees, ants, termites or wasps, individuals are independent, but cannot survive outside the colony; There are castes with job specialization, as well as a nest, which can be an anthill, a tree hole, a termite mound, a rustic hive or a semi-artificial hive, like those used by the beekeeper. In the case of honey bees, when the beekeeper moves them to their boxes, we speak of a hive. The hive is the sum of the living material (bees), plus the boxes where they are confined; In nature, the colony occupies a hole in a tree, cracks or caverns in rock, or elements that man built (containers, constructions, etc.).

Types of colonies

Colony of unicellular organisms

A cell colony is a group of cells with similar characteristics, which act together, with the particularity of not forming a larger structural unit or tissue. The bacteria colony can vary depending on the culture method chosen.

This organization is observed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic unicellular organisms.

There are colonies in which each of the cells performs all the functions of an independent living being, in other cases, there is a principle of division of labor, since some cells can differentiate and become reproductive cells; These types of microbial colonies can form biofilms.

Colony of multicellular organisms

Animal colonies

• A colony is a group of individuals of the same related species who live together. For example: castors, penguins and mussels.

• The eusocial insects such as ants, certain bees (domestic bee and bees), termites and certain species of wasps live in colonies with a complex social structure. They can be considered as superorganisms.