Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Symbiotic Relationships Chart
There are four types of symbiosis you will explore today.
Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism neither benefits nor is harmed.
Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit. Symbiosis is an ecological interaction between two organisms.
Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed.
Predation is a symbiotic relationship in which one organism preys on (and eats) another organism.
Objective:
Given a description of the relationship between two organisms, determine if their relationship is commensalism, predation, mutualism or
parasitism.
Procedure:
1. Draw two cards from each beaker labeled #1 #4.
2. Read the relationship described on each card. Determine what type of relationship this is and record the name of the organisms
in the correct place on the chart. Add a few brief notes to help you remember your reasoning for your decisions.
3. When your chart is complete, use tape to post your cards onto the correct pieces of butcher paper posted around the classroom.
COMMENSALISM
©2012, TESCCC
MUTUALISM
PARASITISM
06/07/12
PREDATION
page 1 of 1
Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Symbiotic Relationships Cards
Predation Cards:
Lion and Zebra
Wolf and Rabbit
The lion hunts and kills the zebra for its food.
The wolf hunts and kills the rabbit for its food.
Snake and Mouse
Bear and Salmon
The bear catches salmon in the river and eats it for food.
The snake lies in wait and captures a mouse running by for its
food.
Frog and Insect
Bear and Berries
The frog uses its long, sticky tongue to catch insects for food.
The bear forages through the forest and finds berries for food.
Rabbit and Lettuce
Grasshopper and Leaf
A rabbit happens upon a garden and eats the lettuce growing in it.
A grasshopper lands on a plant and eats its leaves for food.
©2012, TESCCC
04/10/13
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Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Polar Bear and Seal
Hawk and Vole
A polar bear hunts and captures the seal for its food.
A hawk swoops down and catches a vole for its food.
Lion and Water Buffalo
Mantis and Bee
The lion stalks the water buffalo, attacks, and eats it for food.
The mantis captures a bee and eats it for nourishment.
Alligator and Deer
Goat and Grass
A lucky alligator spots a deer drinking water, attacks the deer, kills
it, and eats it for food.
A goat munches on the grass in a field for its food.
Shark and Fish
Cougar and Deer
A shark captures fish for its food.
The cougar hunts deer and kills it for its food.
©2012, TESCCC
04/10/13
page 2 of 8
Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Wolf and Caribou
Cow and Grass
The wolf hunts and kills the caribou for its food.
A cow munches on the grass in a field for its food.
Whale and Plankton
Lizard and Insect
A whale uses its teeth to filter plankton from the water and eats the
plankton for food.
A lizard captures insects for its food.
Parasitism Cards:
Cuckoo and Warbler
Deer and Tick
A cuckoo may lay its eggs in a warbler’s nest. The cuckoo’s young
will displace the warbler’s young, and the warbler will raise the
cuckoo’s young.
Ticks feed on deer blood, causing irritation to the deer and
potentially giving it various diseases such as Lyme disease.
Lice and Humans
Mistletoe and Oak Tree
Mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from the oak tree, causing
harm to the oak tree.
©2012, TESCCC
Lice attach to human hair and enjoy the warmth given off by the
human. They eat tiny amounts of human blood, causing the
human to have little red bumps that are quite itchy. They may also
transmit disease to the human.
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page 3 of 8
Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Bird Mites and Humans
Fleas and Cat
Fleas live on the cat’s body and eat its blood. They cause irritation
to the cat and may transmit disease to the cat.
Bird mites might happen upon a human when trying to find a new
bird to feast on. Instead, it eats the blood of the human, causing
the human to develop irritating, itchy bumps.
Tapeworm and Dog
Bed Bugs and Human
The tapeworm enters the dog when the dog eats feces containing
tapeworm larvae. The tapeworm attaches to the dog’s stomach
and feeds off of the dog’s nutrients. This often causes harm to the
dog.
Bed bugs will bite and feed off a human up to 500 times in one
night. This causes small red bumps and itchiness to the human.
Braconid Wasp and Tomato Hornworm Larva
Black Wasp and Aphids
Black wasps plant eggs in aphids. The larvae eat the aphids from
the inside.
The braconid wasp deposits its eggs inside the tomato hornworm
larva. When the eggs hatch, the wasps eat their way out which
kills the hornworm.
Mosquitoes and Human
Downy Mildew on Vegetable Plants
The downy mildew fungus invades a host plant and feeds off it.
This often causes discoloration or stunted growth in the plant.
©2012, TESCCC
Mosquitoes find a human and feast upon their blood. This causes
a small reaction on the human’s skin, resulting in a red, itchy
bump. In addition, mosquitoes can pass along disease to their
human host.
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Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Commensalism Cards:
Maribou Stork and Bees
Hermit Crabs and Snails
Hermit crabs live in shells made and then abandoned by snails.
The stork uses its saw-like bill to cut up the dead animals it eats.
As a result, the dead animal carcass is accessible to bees for food
and egg-laying.
Remora Fish and Shark
Bison and Cowbird
Remoras attach themselves to a shark’s body. They then travel
with the shark and feed on the leftover food scraps from the
shark’s meals.
When bison walk through fields it causes insects to become more
active. The cowbrds are able to see the insects and eat them.
Human Gut Bacteria and Humans
Whales and Barnacles
Barnacles create home sites by attaching themselves to whales.
©2012, TESCCC
Certain bacteria live within the digestive system of humans and
feed on various things within the human. This is not detrimental to
the human.
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Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Clownfish and Sea Anemone
Cattle Egret and Cattle or Horses
The clownfish lives within the tentacles of the sea anemone. This
provides protection to the clownfish, and the clownfish also feeds
on the food scraps of the sea anemone.
The cattle egret follows cattle or horses and preys on the insects
the animals stir up as they graze.
Golden Jackals and Tigers
Birds and Army Ants
If a golden jackal is expelled from its pack, it may attach itself to a
particular tiger, trailing it at a safe distance and then feeding on the
tiger’s kills.
Army ants raid forest floors and when they do it causes various
flying insects to stir. Some birds will follow the army ants and then
eat the instects that they stir up.
Mosses and Trees
Orchids and Trees
Orchids are a flower that grow along the trunks or branches of
trees. This allows the orchid to receive light as well as nutrients
that run down the trees. The trees are not harmed by the orchids.
Mosses are a plant that is able to grow on the trunks or branches
of trees. This allows the mosses to receive light as well as
nutrients that run down the trees. The trees are unharmed by the
mosses.
Goby Fish and Sea Urchins
Man-of-War Fish and Portuguese Man of War
Jellyfish
The goby fish live amongst the sea urchins and are provided
protection from their predators.
©2012, TESCCC
The man-of-war fish lives amongst the Portuguese man-of-war
jellyfish and are provided protection from their predators.
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Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Pearl Fish and Sea Cucumber
Imperial Shrimp and Sea Cucumbers
The shrimp hitch a ride on the sea cucumbers, which takes them
through a large feeding area without expelling their own energy.
The pearl fish spends its day in the intestines of the sea cucumber
and emerges at night to feed on small crustaceans. This does not
appear to harm the sea cucumber.
Mutualism Cards
Ostrich and Gazelle
Yucca Plant and Yucca Moth
Ostriches and gazelles gather food in areas close to each other.
They have different visual abilities so they are able to help warn
each other when predators are nearby. They help each other
avoid danger.
Yucca flowers are pollinated by yucca moths. The moths lay their
eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the
developing seeds.
Oxpecker and Rhinoceros
Wrasse Fish and Black Sea Bass
Wrasse fish feed on the parasites found on the black sea bass’s
body.
Oxpeckers feed on the ticks found on a rhinoceros. In addition, if
they sense danger, the oxpecker will fly up and scream out as a
warning to the rhinoceros.
Boxer Crab and Anemone
Honey Guide Bird and Badger
Honey guide birds alert and direct badgers to beehives. The
badgers then expose the hives and feed on the honey first. Then,
the honey guide birds eat.
©2012, TESCCC
The boxer crab carries a pair of small anemones in its claws.
When a predator approaches, it waves the anemones around
which presents its stinging tentacles and deters the predator. The
anemones get small particles of food from the crab when it eats.
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Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Alpheid Shrimp and Goby Fish
Anemone Hermit Crab and Anemones
The alpheid shrimp dig a deep burrow and keep safe
underground. The alpheid shrimp has bad vision, so it is
vulnerable to predators when above ground. The goby fish “stands
guard” at the entrance of the burrow and will flick its tail to signal
the shrimp that it is safe to come out. The goby fish gets a burrow
to live in while the shrimp is warned of predators.
The crab attaches several anemones to its shell using them as
camouflage and as a deterrent to potential predators. The
anemones have a “mobile home” and get more exposure to food
than if they remained stationary.
Bees and Flowers
Spider Crab and Algae
Bees fly around to various flowers and gather nectar, which they
use to make food. When a bee lands on a flower, it gets some
pollen on its hairy body. Then, when the bee lands on the next
flower, some of the pollen from the first flower rubs off, pollinating
the plant.
Spider crabs live in shallow areas of the ocean floor. Greenishbrown algae lives on the crab’s back, helping the crabs blend in
with their environment, which makes them less noticeable to
predators. The algae are provided with a good place to live while
the crab receives camouflage.
Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plants
The mycorrhizal fungus invades the roots of some plants and gets
nutrients from the plant. The fungus helps the plant absorb
inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil. Some fungi also
secrete antibiotics, which can help protect the plant from parasitic
fungi and bacteria.
Honeypot Ants and Aphids
The honeypot ants get food by stroking the aphid for their sweet
honeydew secretions. The ants provide protection for the aphid by
aggressively fighting off predators such as ladybugs.
Algae and Fungi (Lichen)
Otters and Kelp
Algae and fungi can live together, forming lichen. The algae
produce carbohydrates through photosynthesis, providing
nutrients to both the algae and the fungi. The fungi provide
moisture for the algae.
©2012, TESCCC
Information Sources:
Does bleach kill mold?. (2011). Retrieved from http://doesbleachkillmold.org/
Medlibrary.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://medlibrary.org/
Project WILD., & Council for Environmental Education. (2004). Project WILD:
K-12 curriculum & activity guide. Houston, Tx: Council for
Environmental Education.
Otters float and sleep on forests of kelp in the water. The kelp
provides them a place to anchor in the moving water. The otters
eat sea urchins, which normally feed on the kelp.
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page 8 of 8
Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Ecosystems Outline
I. Levels of organization in Ecology:
a. What is the difference between a biological population and a biological community?
II. What is competition:
a. examples:
b. What happens to competition between individuals as population size increases?
III. What are limiting factors?
a. examples:
IV. What are density-dependent factors?
a. examples:
b. What happens to competition between individuals as the population size increases?
V. What are density-independent factors?
a. examples:
VI. What is carrying capacity?
a. graph:
b. importance to ecologists:
©2012, TESCCC
06/07/12
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