An
endosymbiont is any
organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism, i.e. forming an
endosymbiosis (
Greek: ἔνδον
endon "within", σύν
syn "together" and βίωσις
biosis "living"). Examples are
nitrogen-fixing bacteria (called
rhizobia), which live in
root nodules on
legume roots, single-cell
algae inside reef-building
corals, and bacterial endosymbionts that provide essential nutrients to about 10–15% of insects.