12A Symbiosis

Front

What is a mutation?

Back

A mutation is any change in the sequence of DNA.

Front

What type of symbiotic relationship benefits both organisms involved?

Back

Mutualism is a relationship between two organisms in which both organisms benefit.

Front

What is commensalism?

Back

Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Front

Give an example of commensalism involving cattle egrets.

Back

Cattle egrets forage in fields among cattle, benefiting from easy access to insects stirred up by the cattle, while the cattle are unaffected.

Front

What type of symbiosis occurs when skunks live in abandoned woodchuck burrows?

Back

This is an example of commensalism, where skunks benefit from the burrows without affecting the woodchucks.

Front

Why are insertion mutations harmful?

Back

Insertion mutations can disrupt the reading frame of the DNA, leading to changes in the amino acid sequence of proteins.

Front

Why are deletion mutations harmful?

Back

Deletion mutations can also disrupt the reading frame, changing all subsequent codons and potentially leading to nonfunctional proteins.

Front

What is the significance of codons in DNA?

Back

Codons are sequences of three nucleotides in DNA that correspond to specific amino acids in protein synthesis.

Front

How does mutualism differ from commensalism?

Back

In mutualism, both organisms benefit, while in commensalism, one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

Front

What is an example of mutualism in nature?

Back

An example of mutualism is the relationship between bees and flowering plants, where bees get nectar and plants get pollinated.