Final answer:
The term for the symbiotic association between fungi and cyanobacteria is called lichens. Lichens are a mutualistic relationship between a fungal partner and an algal partner, or a cyanobacterium.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for the symbiotic association between fungi and cyanobacteria is called lichens. Lichens are a mutualistic relationship between a fungal partner (mycobiont) and an algal partner (phycobiont) or a cyanobacterium. The fungus provides minerals and protection to the photosynthetic organism, and in return, the fungus receives food and a drier environment to grow. The term for the symbiotic association between fungi and cyanobacteria is called a lichen. This relationship involves a fungus, known as the mycobiont, and a photosynthetic partner, which can be an algae or a cyanobacterium, referred to as the phycobiont.
The fungus provides the structure, moisture, and mineral nutrients for the photosynthetic partner, while the algae or cyanobacterium supplies organic carbon through the process of photosynthesis. This mutualistic relationship allows lichens to inhabit diverse and often extreme environments. Although traditionally seen as mutualism, most scientists now consider the symbiotic relationship in lichens to be a form of controlled parasitism since the photosynthetic organism may not grow as well as it would independently. Nevertheless, both partners derive essential benefits from the relationship, making lichens an important ecological component in many habitats, from forests to deserts and even urban areas.