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RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ORGANISMS In nature, certain organisms have relationships with other organisms that benefit one or both of the organisms involved. This type of relationship is known as symbiosis. Symbiotic relationships can last a long time. There are several different types of symbiosis. One type is known as mutualism. This is a relationship that is good for both organisms. In other words, one could not survive without the other. An example of mutualism is the relationship between the yucca moth and the Joshua tree (also known as the yucca plant). When the plant blooms, female yucca moths can be seen flying from flower to flower. The moths pick up pollen and roll it into a ball in their mouths. They then inject their eggs into the ball of pollen. Then they make a hole in another flower and pack the ball of pollen into the part of the flower that contains its reproductive parts. The moth has protected its eggs from predators and helped to pollinate the flower at the same time. The pollinated flower can now make seeds. Some of the seeds eventually sprout into new yucca plants. Other seeds provide food for newly hatched moths when the eggs hatch into larvae. Another type of symbiotic relationship is only good for one of the organisms in the relationship. This type of relationship is called parasitism. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism. Parasites feed on the other organism, which is known as the parasites host. For examples, fleas and dogs have a relationship of parasitism. The flea is the parasite and the dog is the host. In this relationship, the flea benefits by getting food, but the dog does not benefit; it only gets an irritating itch. There are also parasites that feed on plants. In fact, plant parasites are often plants themselves. The orange dodder, a plant that does not make very much chlorophyll on its own, wraps itself around a plant that does make its own food. The dodder sends tubes into its host and gets food through the tubes. This relationship usually weakens and slows the growth of the host plant. A third type of symbiosis is known as commensalism. In this type of relationship, one organism benefits from another without harming the other. The second organism receives no benefit from the relationship, but it does not get hurt in anyway either. An example of commensalism is the relationship between some tropical fish and sea anemones. Sea anemones have poisonous tentacles, but they allow some tropical fish to live unharmed among them. The anemones protect the fish even though they do not get any benefit of their own from the relationship.
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QUESTIONS 1. A relationship between two organisms that benefits one or both of them is called _________________________.

2. An example of mutualism is the relationship between a. a flea and a dog. b. a yucca moth and a yucca plant. c. a tropical fish and a sea anemone. d. All of these 3. In the relationship between the yucca moth and the yucca plant, a. both the moth and the plant benefit. b. neither the moth nor the plant benefits. c. the moth benefits but the plant does not. d. the plant benefits but the moth does not. 4. Which is not true of the relationship between the yucca moth and the yucca plant? a. The moths eggs are protected. b. The plant is pollinated. c. The moths eggs are destroyed. d. The plants seeds are eaten. 5. An organism that feeds on another organism is a _______________. 6. In a relationship of parasitism, a. both organisms benefit. b. neither organism benefits. c. one organism benefits at the expense of the other. d. one organism benefits without harming or helping the other. 7. An example of parasitism is the relationship between a. a flea and a dog. b. a yucca moth and a yucca plant. c. a tropical fish and a sea anemone. d. All of these

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8. Describe how the dodder plant acts as a parasite

9. A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed is called a. consumerism. b. commensalism. c. mutualism. d. parasitism. 10. In the relationship between some tropical fish and sea anemones, a. both the fish and the sea anemone benefit. b. neither the fish nor the sea anemone benefits. c. the sea anemone benefits but the fish does not. d. the fish benefits but the sea anemone does not.

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ANSWERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. symbiosis b a c parasite c a The dodder plant does not make very much chlorophyll on its own, so it wraps itself around a plant that does make its own food. The dodder sends tubes into its host and gets food through the tubes. This relationship usually weakens and slows the growth of the host plant. 9. b 10. d

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