Interdependence Among Living Organisms

Interdependence Among Living Organisms

By Janice Rivera

​Community

It is the biotic part of an ecosystem. It consists of all the populations of all the species in the same area. It also includes their biological interactions, the interactions between different organisms in an environment.

​An organism is an individual living thing. Many living things interact with other organisms in their environment. In fact, they may need other organisms in order to survive. This is known as interdependence. For example, living things that cannot make their own food must eat other organisms for food. Other interactions between living things include predation, competition, and symbiosis.

is a relationship in which members of one species (the predator) consume members of another species (the prey).

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Predation

is a relationship between organisms that strive for the same resources in the same

place. The resources might be food, water, or space. Competition occurs whenever they both try to get

the same resources in the same place and at the same time. The two organisms are likely

Competition

Intraspecific competition occurs between members of the same species.

Interspecific competition occurs between members of different species.

is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit.

Mutualism

​is a symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits while the other species

is not affected. One species typically uses the other for a purpose other than food.

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Commensalism

is a symbiotic relationship in which one species (the parasite) benefits while the other species (the host) is harmed. Many species of animals are parasites, at least during some stage of their life. Most species are also hosts to one or more arasites. Some parasites live on the surface of their host. Others live inside their host. They may enter the host through a break in the skin or in food or water.

Parasitism

​Look and

analyze

Instruction: Tell what kind of relationship exists in each organism.

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A bird perch on the back of a carabao to eat small insects

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Snake swallowing a rat

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Lice in the head of a girl

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Orchids clinging on a tree

​Guess the Word

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A kind of relationship where the participating organisms benefit from each other. This is a give and take kind of relationship.

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In this kind of relationship where one participating organism gets benefit from the other, while the other organism is neither benefited or harmed.

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It is a relationship where one kills and eats another. The one who is eaten is called prey and the one who eats is predator.

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A relationship where the participating organism fight for the same materials in their environment.

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A relationship when one participant organism harms the other but does not necessarily kill and eat it. The one which is harmed or affected is known as host while the one that gets benefit in the relationship is known as parasite.

​Analysis

1. How do carabao and a bird “give and take” one another?

2. How do you campare the predator and prey?

3. How do plants in the forest compete one another?

4. ​Among the kinds of relationship of organisms, which one do you think will help our environment keep its balance?