Interspecific association review

What is the general term used to describe the interaction between two different organisms that are living in close physical association?

• Symbiosis

• Prey

• Predation

• Photosynthesis

Answer explanation

Symbiosis can be obligatory, which means that one or more of the symbionts depend on each other for survival, or facultative (optional), when they can generally live independently.

The name of the animal in an ecological relationship that results in another animal being hunted, killed, and eat corresponds to

• Omnivore

• Predator

• Prey

• Carnivore

Answer explanation

A prey is an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food.

What is the ecological symbiotic relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is harmed?

• Herbivore.

• Parasitism.

• Mutualism.

• Commensalism.

Answer explanation

What you would call an ecological symbiotic relationship between two organisms where one benefits, but the other is not helped or harmed?

• Commensalism.

• Predation.

• Parasitism.

• Mutualism.

Answer explanation

A sea cucumber is an animal that lives in the ocean. An imperial shrimp will ride on the back of the sea cucumber as a way of easy travel through the ocean. The sea cucumber is not helped or harmed. Which type of relationship do these animals have?

• Parasitism.

• Mutualism.

• Predation.

• Commensalism.

Answer explanation

Ostriches and gazelles are two animals that live in Africa. They graze for food near each other because they help each other spot predators. The gazelle has excellent eyesight, but poor hearing, and the ostrich has excellent hearing, but poor eyesight. These two animals will alert one another when danger is near. Which term best describes this relationship?

• Mutualism.

• Predation.

• Parasitism.

• Commensalism.

Answer explanation

A person eats undercooked meat from an animal infected with tapeworms. The tapeworm then lives in the person’s intestines and absorbs important nutrients that the person needs. This tapeworm causes harm to the person. Which type of relationship is described?

• Prey

• Parasitism

• Predation

• Mutualism

Answer explanation

Barnacles are sea creatures that create a home by attaching themselves to whales. The whales are unaffected by the barnacles. Which term best describes this symbiotic relationship?

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Predation

A mistletoe plant attaches itself to a spruce tree causing harm by absorbs the tree’s water and nutrients. What type of relationship does this describe?

• Predation

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

A cuckoo and a warbler are both birds. A cuckoo will find the nest of warbler instead of building her own, and she harms the warbler by knocking a warbler egg out of nest and laying her own. When the warbler mother returns, she isn’t aware of the switch. The warbler will then raise the baby cuckoo bird instead of her own baby. Which term best describes this relationship?

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Predation

• Commensalism

Answer explanation