Each of these little amoeba cells has to specialize in forming this structure and it is still not known how they learn the roles they must play. Besides the carnivorous plants, there is also an aquatic single-celled group, the dinoflagellates, which have both plant and animal characteristics. They contain chlorophyll for the manufacture of food, yet may also catch and eat tiny animals. These relationships are complex and not entirely understood, except that they work well now, and appear to have always done so. All of nature is built on symbiotic or cooperative relationships.
Lichens are fungi that work with algae.
They surround and protect the algae, giving them nutrients dissolved from the rocks, and in return the algae produce food for them. Both are able to survive in harsh conditions. Fungi, like all microbes and bacteria, are involved in the breaking-down process or decomposition of things into their original elements. Many are allies of the plants, because they are part of the vast process necessary to recycle vital materials for the plant and other kingdoms. They are indispensable, restoring carbon dioxide to the air and nutrients to the soil.