Symbiosis or Symbiotic Relationship

Symbiosis is a close relationship between
the individuals of two (or more) different
species.
Mutualism
Mutualism
 Both species benefit

◦ The bee and the flower
◦ Algae and Fungus
Commensalism

One organism benefits while the other
neither gains nor loses.
◦ Barnacles and a Whale
◦ Clown Fish and Sea anemone
Parasitism

One organism benefits and the other is
harmed.
◦ Tapeworm and a Dog
◦ Brain worm and a Caribou
Symbiotic Relationships

Examples
Producer

An organism that produces its own food
◦ Generally most green organism are producer
since they contain chlorophyll that captures
the sunlight and creates food.
◦ Plants
◦ Phytoplankton
Producer

Plants can produce their own food from the
abiotic environments. (photosynthesis)
Water + Carbon dioxide + Sunlight = Food (Sugar) + Oxygen
Consumers

Animals must consume, eat other
organisms.
◦ Can be classified as
 Herbivores
 Carnivores
 Omnivores
Herbivores

Animals that only eats plants
Carnivores

Animals that eat only other animals.
Omnivores

Animals that eat plants and animals.
Decomposers
Organisms that break down dead
organisms and waste material into their
basic parts.
 They release chemicals that break down
dead tissues and cells and absorb the
nutrients for their own use.


Examples include bacteria,
microorganisms, fungi and worms.
Scavengers
Animals that eat decaying animals
 Examples include crows, some gulls, dung
beetle larvae, and houseflies.

Food Chains
The transfer of energy from organism to
organism. Arrows show the direction of
energy flow.
 Producers are the food source for all
consumers and decomposers.

The Food Chain
A Sample Food Chain
Food Webs

Interconnecting food chains
Pyramid of Energy (p. 55)
As you move up the food chain from one level to another
energy is loss for regular body maintenance.
 When energy is transferred to the next feeding level, only
10% of it is used to build mass in that animal the rest is
used up(the rest goes for metabolic processes). As such,
in a Pyramid of Energy, each step will be 10% the size
of the previous step (100, 10, 1, 0.1, 0.001, etc.).

Nutrient Cycles
Nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen,
are recycled in the environment.
 All organisms are eventually recycled and
their nutrients are returned to the soil by
the action of decomposers

Nitrogen Cycle