In which type of relationship does one organism benefit while causing damage to another?

In parasitism, one organism benefits at the expense of another, causing harm to its host. This relationship is characterized by the parasite deriving nutrients or some form of advantage from the host while simultaneously harming it, which can lead to various negative effects on the host's health and wellbeing. Common examples of parasitism include organisms like tapeworms that live in the intestines of animals or plants that suffer from parasitic infections, where the parasite relies on the host for survival and reproduction.

In contrast, commensalism involves one organism benefiting while the other is neither helped nor harmed, mutualism is characterized by a relationship where both organisms benefit, and symbiosis refers to a broader term that encompasses various relationships between species, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Therefore, parasitism is distinct in that it inherently involves a negative impact on one organism due to the dependence and exploitation by another.