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 MUTUALISM PARASITISM PREDATION

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 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.

Bear and Salmon Snake and Mouse

The snake lies in wait and captures a mouse running by for its
The bear catches salmon in the river and eats it for food.
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.

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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
A goat munches on the grass in a field for its food.
it, and eats it for food.

Shark and Fish Cougar and Deer

A shark captures fish for its food. The cougar hunts deer and kills it for its food.

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 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.

Lizard and Insect Whale and Plankton

A whale uses its teeth to filter plankton from the water and eats the
A lizard captures insects for its food.
plankton for food.

Parasitism Cards:

Cuckoo and Warbler Deer and Tick

A cuckoo may lay its eggs in a warbler’s nest. The cuckoo’s young
Ticks feed on deer blood, causing irritation to the deer and
will displace the warbler’s young, and the warbler will raise the
potentially giving it various diseases such as Lyme disease.
cuckoo’s young.

Lice and Humans

Mistletoe and Oak Tree
Lice attach to human hair and enjoy the warmth given off by the
Mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from the oak tree, causing human. They eat tiny amounts of human blood, causing the
harm to the oak tree. human to have little red bumps that are quite itchy. They may also
transmit disease to the human.

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 Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01

Fleas and Cat Bird Mites and Humans

Bird mites might happen upon a human when trying to find a new
Fleas live on the cat’s body and eat its blood. They cause irritation
bird to feast on. Instead, it eats the blood of the human, causing
to the cat and may transmit disease to the cat.
the human to develop irritating, itchy bumps.

Tapeworm and Dog

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 and Human
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.

Black Wasp and Aphids Braconid Wasp and Tomato Hornworm Larva
The braconid wasp deposits its eggs inside the tomato hornworm
Black wasps plant eggs in aphids. The larvae eat the aphids from
larva. When the eggs hatch, the wasps eat their way out which
the inside.
kills the hornworm.

Mosquitoes and Human

Downy Mildew on Vegetable Plants
Mosquitoes find a human and feast upon their blood. This causes
The downy mildew fungus invades a host plant and feeds off it. a small reaction on the human’s skin, resulting in a red, itchy
This often causes discoloration or stunted growth in the plant. 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
The stork uses its saw-like bill to cut up the dead animals it eats.
Hermit crabs live in shells made and then abandoned by snails. As a result, the dead animal carcass is accessible to bees for food
and egg-laying.

Bison and Cowbird Remora Fish and Shark

Remoras attach themselves to a shark’s body. They then travel
When bison walk through fields it causes insects to become more
with the shark and feed on the leftover food scraps from the
active. The cowbrds are able to see the insects and eat them.
shark’s meals.

Human Gut Bacteria and Humans

Whales and Barnacles
Certain bacteria live within the digestive system of humans and
Barnacles create home sites by attaching themselves to whales. feed on various things within the human. This is not detrimental to
the human.

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Clownfish and Sea Anemone
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.
Golden Jackals and Tigers
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.
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.
Goby Fish and Sea Urchins
The goby fish live amongst the sea urchins and are provided
protection from their predators.
©2012, TESCCC
Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Cattle Egret and Cattle or Horses
The cattle egret follows cattle or horses and preys on the insects
the animals stir up as they graze.
Birds and Army Ants
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
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.
Man-of-War Fish and Portuguese Man of War
Jellyfish
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.
Yucca flowers are pollinated by yucca moths. The moths lay their
They have different visual abilities so they are able to help warn
eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the
each other when predators are nearby. They help each other
developing seeds.
avoid danger.

Wrasse Fish and Black Sea Bass Oxpecker and Rhinoceros

Oxpeckers feed on the ticks found on a rhinoceros. In addition, if
Wrasse fish feed on the parasites found on the black sea bass’s
they sense danger, the oxpecker will fly up and scream out as a
body.
warning to the rhinoceros.

Honey Guide Bird and Badger Boxer Crab and Anemone

The boxer crab carries a pair of small anemones in its claws.
Honey guide birds alert and direct badgers to beehives. The
When a predator approaches, it waves the anemones around
badgers then expose the hives and feed on the honey first. Then,
which presents its stinging tentacles and deters the predator. The
the honey guide birds eat.
anemones get small particles of food from the crab when it eats.

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Alpheid Shrimp and Goby Fish
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.
Bees and Flowers
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.
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.
Algae and Fungi (Lichen)
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.
Information Sources:
Does bleach kill mold?. (2011). Retrieved from http://doesbleachkillmold.org/
Medlibrary.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://medlibrary.org/
©2012, TESCCC Project WILD., & Council for Environmental Education. (2004). Project WILD:
K-12 curriculum & activity guide. Houston, Tx: Council for
Environmental Education.
Biology
HS/Science
Unit: 02 Lesson: 01
Anemone Hermit Crab and Anemones
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.
Spider Crab and Algae
Spider crabs live in shallow areas of the ocean floor. Greenish-
brown 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.
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.
Otters and Kelp
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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 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:

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