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Symbiosis (Interactions Between Organisms)

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What you will learn from this videoWhat you will learn
- Symbiosis is the interaction between organisms in an ecosystem.
- These interactions can be helpful, harmful or have no effect.
- This video explores different types of symbiosis like predation, mutualism and parasitism.
- Discussion Questions
Before Video
What is an ecosystem?ANSWERAll the living and nonliving things in an area.
Nonliving things include air, water, temperature, amount of sunlight, minerals, salinity, and pH.
Such factors include things like resource availability, competition between organisms for resources, organisms eating other organisms, and changes in the environment.
Organisms might interact in an ecosystem to get the food, water, or shelter they need to survive.
Answers will vary.
If we understand the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem, then we have a better understanding of energy flow within the ecosystem. Relationships vary in importance with respect to energy flow as well as the overall effect on ecosystem stability.
After Video
What are different types of symbiosis?ANSWERCompetition, predation, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism
Without predators, organisms that are prey (like the rabbit in the video) would become overpopulated in an ecosystem. Eventually, they would eat all of the plants, become sickly, and/or die of starvation.
Food webs show where each organism gets its energy from.
Over many generations, both organisms have adapted and found a specialty that allows both to thrive. For example, the hawk hunts during the day, and the owl hunts at night.
Both the termite and the bacteria benefit from the feeding relationship (mutualism). Without the bacteria, the termite would starve; without the termite the bacteria would not have a food source. If this were a parasitic relationship, then one of the organisms would benefit, and the other would be harmed.
An ecologist and a marine biologist are two careers that study symbiotic relationships. An ecologist could study all kinds of ecosystems, and knowing the interactions can help her or him preserve ecosystems. A marine biologist specializes in studying life in the ocean.
- Vocabulary
- Ecosystem DEFINE
All the living and nonliving things in an area.
- Symbiosis DEFINE
Interaction between organisms of two different species.
- Predation DEFINE
Relationship in which one organism eats another organism.
- Competition DEFINE
Relationship in which two organisms compete for the same resource.
- Parasitism DEFINE
Relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
- Mutualism DEFINE
Relationship in which both of the organisms benefit.
- Commensalism DEFINE
Relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is neither helped nor harmed.
- Food web DEFINE
Model showing where each organism in an ecosystem gets its energy.
- Ecosystem DEFINE
- Reading Material
- DIY Activity Guide
- Lesson Plan
- Teacher Guide