Bess Beetles Role In Breaking Down Materials

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There are many species of animals that play a role in breaking down materials. Bess beetles have a symbiotic relationship with a certain species of external mites and internal bacteria that assist it in breaking down wood material that is normally hard to digest (Price, 250). The beetles themselves cannot digest wood properly, so the anaerobic bacteria inside the bess beetles’ stomachs ferment the wood while the Phoretic mites on the beetles’ exteriors eat any unpleasant or unwanted fungi growing on the wood or beetles. To ease their digestion process, the bess beetles re-eat their own droppings to replenish their internal bacteria supply, further breaking down the material and encouraging the growth of bacteria that inhibit oxygen in the

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