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*
* What is symbiosis?
* What are the different kinds of symbiosis?
* What are some examples of symbiosis?
*
*
the act of living together
What it means:
*Two organisms that live together
*Temporarily or for a longer time
*At least one of the organisms
benefits from the relationship
*
*
Mutualism
Commensalism
both organisms
benefit
one organism
benefits
one organism
is unaffected
Parasitism
one organism
benefits
one organism
is harmed
Mutualism
Organism One
Organism Two
*
*Acacia ants
live in acacia
trees.
*The tree
provides big
hollow thorns
as a home for
the ants.
*
*The tree also
provides food
for the ants in
yellow
swellings on
the leaves (red
oval).
*
*The ants
defend the tree
against
herbivores,
both large and
small.
*They attack
insects and
large grazing
herbivores.
Commensalism
Organism One
Organism Two
*
*Cattle egrets
are often found
around grazing
herbivores,
such as these
African buffalo
or cattle in
Texas fields.
*
*The cattle egrets
eat insects that are
flushed as the big
herbivores move
around.
*The herbivores get
no benefit or harm
from the egrets.
*
Photo Credit: Noodlefish @ flickr.com
Parasitism
Organism One
Organism Two
*
*Songbirds are often
heavily parasitized by
ticks.
*The birds are often
anemic, stressed and
more vulnerable to
predation.
*Female ticks must have
a good blood meal in
order to lay eggs.
*
Photo Credit: Bill Hilton, Jr. @ hiltonpond.org
*
*Fungal parasites
often infect living
organisms, such as
plants, animals or
other fungi.
*This shelf fungus
releases enzymes to
digest the wood of
this tree, which
weakens the tree and
makes it more
vulnerable.
*
Photo Credit: BIOL 1407 Student
*Competition in an interaction
between two organisms that are
using the same limited resource.
*
*
*Cheetahs and
Lions hunt the
same prey
*
*Plants compete
for space in the
sun
Acacia Plant & Ants
The ants lay eggs on
acacia tree so they get
a nice safe place for
their eggs. The acacia
covers the infected
area with brown flesh
(called a gall.) The
plant has to use
valuable resources to
create the gall.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
parasitism
*
This fish lives its entire adult life
among the tentacles of a bulbtentacle sea anemone. Anemone
fish do not get stung by the
anemone as would most other fish
so they get protection from
predators. The fish often drop
food scraps which the anemones
can eat.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
mutualism
*
This Boxer Crab carries a
pair of stinging anemones
in its claws, which it uses
to defend itself from
predators. The anemones
get to move around which
increases their food
supply.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
mutualism
Shark & Remora
commensalism
The remora attaches itself
to the shark and saves
energy since it doesn’t
have to swim, and it gets to
snack on the sharks kills.
The shark doesn’t get
anything.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
Emperor Shrimp & Sea Cucumber
This tiny emperor shrimp is
riding along on the back of a
sea cucumber (a long wormlike starfish relative) while it
crawls along a sandy bottom.
The shrimp gets to travel
around under the protection of
its much larger partner, and
the sea cucumber doesn't
seem to mind.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
commensalism
Moray Eel & Cleaner Fish
This moray eel has a small fish
cleaning between its teeth. The
eel gets a clean mouth while the
cleaner fish gets a nice meal.
mutualism
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
Cattle & Cattle Egrets
As these cattle walk
around eating grass they
stir up lots of insects. The
egrets hang around and
get a yummy meal of
insects.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
commensalism
Antelope & Ox Bird
This ox bird
hangs out on the
antelope and gets
a delicious meal
of bugs living on
the antelope. The
antelope gets rid
of parasites.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
mutualism
Loa Loa Worm & Human
This worm infects
human the blood
stream and gets a
nice warm safe
home there. The
human may go
blind or have other
complications as a
result.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
parasitism
*
This alpheid shrimp (on
the right) uses its strong
claws like a bulldozer to
create a burrow in the
sand. The shrimp is nearly
blind. It relies upon its
partner, the sharp-eyed
goby, to warn of danger.
When a potential predator
approaches, both animals
disappear quickly into the
burrow
mutualism
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
*
competition
Trees spread roots to try and
get the best sources of water
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
*
Can you see the two
cleaner wrasses are
removing parasites from
a batfish? One of the
wrasses has entered the
gill slit of the batfish, and
may even enter its
mouth in search of food.
The batfish gets a bath
and the wrasse gets a
meal.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
mutualism
*
mutualism
This hummingbird moth is
drinking the nectar of a
flower. The flower gets
pollinated (the moth brings
pollen from other flowers)
and the moth gets a tasty
meal.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
*
competition
A scientist observes that both
birds and snakes in the same
ecosystem depend on the
same mouse species as a food
source.
What symbiotic
relationship is this?
Answer each of following questions on a sheet of lined paper.
1.
2.
3.
What is symbiosis?
What are the different kinds of symbiosis?
Describe one example of each kind of symbiotic relationship.
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