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superorganism
Any society; such as, the colony of a eusocial insect species, possessing features of organization analogous to the physiological properties of a single organism.

The insect colony; for example, is divided into reproductive castes (similar to gonads) and worker castes (like somatic tissue); it may exchange nutrients by trophallaxis (analogous to the circulatory system); and so forth.

This entry is located in the following unit: Ant and Related Entomology Terms (page 21)