Which example illustrates a mutualistic relationship?

• A. Barnacles on whales
• B. Bees pollinating flowers for nectar
• C. Termite gut bacteria for plant digestion
• D. Tick on dog

Answer: (B)

Mutualism occurs when both organisms gain a benefit from the interaction. Bees pollinating flowers is a clear example: bees get nectar and pollen for food, while flowers gain pollination that helps them reproduce. The other scenarios involve one-sided benefits or harm—barnacles on whales benefit by hitching a ride, but the whale is largely unaffected; a tick on a dog benefits by feeding, often harming the dog; the termite gut bacteria and termites also share a mutualistic relationship, but the prompt highlights the bee-flower interaction as the most straightforward illustration of mutualism.