Symbiotic Relationships

Yucca flowers depend on the yucca moth for pollination.The Yucca moth gets nectar from the Yucca flower, and lay their eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the developing seeds.

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

Answer explanation

The correct option is 4. Mutualism. Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction. In this case, the Yucca flower benefits from the Yucca moth pollinating it, while the Yucca moth benefits from getting nectar from the flower and laying its eggs in the flower where the larvae can feed on some of the developing seeds. Both species depend on each other for survival and reproduction, making it a mutualistic relationship.

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Barnacles create home sites by attaching themselves to whales. This neither harms nor benefits the whales

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

Answer explanation

The correct option is 5. Commensalism. This is because the relationship between barnacles and whales is one-sided, where the barnacles benefit by having a home site while the whales are neither harmed nor benefited. This type of relationship is known as commensalism, where one organism benefits while the other is unaffected.

Hermit crabs live in shells that are both made and then abandoned by snails. This neither harms nor benefits the snail.

• Predation
• Parasitism
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism

Two male elephant seals will fight, often violently, in order to gain the attention of a female.

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

Answer explanation

The correct option is 3. Competition. This is because the two male elephant seals are competing with each other for the same resource, which is the attention of a female. They are not benefiting each other (mutualism) or harming each other (parasitism). There is also no relationship where one benefits and the other is unaffected (commensalism). Predation does not apply in this scenario as there is no hunting or killing involved.

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A cuckoo bird may lay its eggs in a warbler's nest. The adult warblers do not notice the intruder and treat the egg (and chick) as their own. The baby cuckoo grows faster and bigger than the warbler's babies, and often will kill the warblers' babies or cause them to starve to death. Consider the relationship between the cockoo chick and the warbler's chicks.

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

Answer explanation

The correct option is 3. Competition. The cuckoo chick competes with the warbler's chicks for resources such as food and space, often resulting in the death of the warbler's chicks. This is not an example of predation or parasitism, as the cuckoo chick does not directly kill or harm the warbler's chicks, nor does it rely on the warbler's nest for survival. It is also not an example of mutualism or commensalism, as there is no benefit or harm to both species or one species benefiting while the other is unaffected.

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Hookworms enter the human body by burrowing into the skin of the feet. Once in the skin, they enter the bloodstream and travel to the small intestine where they attach to the wall and begin to drink the person's blood and weaken the victim

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

Answer explanation

The solution to the given question is option number 2, which is parasitism. Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other organism (the host). In this case, the hookworms are the parasites that enter the human body and feed on the person's blood, which weakens the victim. Therefore, the relationship between the hookworms and the human is an example of parasitism.

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Lichens are actuall two organisms living together-fungi and algae. The fungi hold the water supply and the algae perform photosynthesis and make the carbohydrates (sugars) for both the fungi and algae

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

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Lactobacilli are a type of bacteria that live in our lungs and kill many of the harmful microorganisms that enter our respiratory system. They have many adaptations for living in our lungs and can not survive any other habitat.

• Predation
• Parasitism
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism

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Plants require nitrogen to live and grow. Soybeans have special root nodules that hold bacteria that can make nitrogen. Plants use the nitrogen made by the bacteria to live and grow. In return, the bacteria receive some of the sugar (carbohydrates) made by the soybean plants.

• Predation
• Parasitism
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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Garlic Mustard is an invasive species to New England. It grows along with native species like White Pine trees. Both Garlic Mustard and White Pines use the same resources from the soil. The presence of garlic mustard reduces the health of white pine seedlings.

• Predation
• Parasitism
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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