Interactions in Ecosystems

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What is an ecosystem?

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An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with each other and their non-living environment (like air, water, and soil).

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What is a living organism?

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A living organism is any individual entity that exhibits the characteristics of life, such as growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli. Examples include plants, animals, and bacteria.

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What is a non-living thing in an ecosystem?

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Non-living things in an ecosystem are elements that do not have life but are essential for the survival of living organisms. Examples include water, air, soil, and sunlight.

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What is a producer in an ecosystem?

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A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Examples include plants and algae.

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What is a consumer in an ecosystem?

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A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms for energy. Examples include animals and humans.

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What is a decomposer?

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A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead or decaying organisms, returning nutrients to the soil. Examples include fungi and bacteria.

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What is mutualism?

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Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit from the interaction. An example is bees pollinating flowers while obtaining nectar.

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What is commensalism?

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Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. An example is barnacles attaching to a whale.

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What is parasitism?

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Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of the other. An example is a tick feeding on a dog.

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What is photosynthesis?

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Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.