Kurt P.

Wise

Exercise 4: Biological Relationships

Purpose of This Exercise: To recognize mutualistic and non-mutualistic
relationships that exist between organisms.

Student Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to identify and

distinguish biological mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism.

Materials Needed: computer (for creating the lab report)

Introduction:
The God of Scripture is not just a set of infinite characteristics (e.g. all-
powerful, all-knowing, all-good). God is a God of relationship. He is three
persons in perfect relationship. He is love and pursues relationship with
humans even those who run from Him. When He created, God saturated
the creation with physical manifestations of His nature so that He could be
seen in those things made (Romans 1:18-20). Among other things, God
saturated the creation with relationship. In fact, it could be said that the
unifying theme of biology is relationship:

Metabolism refers to how biological molecules relate to one

another.

Organelles relate to one another to produce cells.

Cells relate to one another to produce tissues; tissues relate to

one another to produce organs; organs relate to one another to

produce organ systems; organ systems relate to one another to
produce an organism.

Individuals relate to one another in families and populations.

Species relate to one another in biological communities.

In the original creation, all relationships were probably positive not

only human relationships with God and one another, but also human as they
related to their subjects and even relationships among the subjects. Sin
disrupted those relationships. Sin first severed the relationship between God
and man which in turn would lead to the only time the relationship between
 God the Son and God the Father was broken. The husband-wife relationship
was broken, as was the relationship between humans and their subjects. In
fact the bondage of corruption (Romans 8:21) probably damaged every
relationship in the creation. A disease, for example, can be understood to be
a broken relationship.

Most people are not conscious of the ubiquity of relationships about

them. In this lab you are asked to take some notice of some of those
relationships. Furthermore, you are asked to discern among different types
of relationship. In a simple classification, two organisms that relate in some
manner, relate in one of the following ways:

Parasitism one organism (the parasite) benefits by taking from

or hurting the other organism (the host)

Commensalism one organism benefits; the other is not

substantially benefited or hurt

Mutualism each organism benefits from the other without

hurting the other

Procedure A: Choose a spot in as natural an area as possible (e.g. the

woods) and observe and contemplate five (5) different organism-organism
relationships. For each pair of organisms

a) describe or name the two organisms

b) identify and describe all the relationships you can think of between the two
organisms

Spanish moss and Resurrection Fern: Both of them look more like mosses and both are
here in New Orleans.

Clitocybe rivulosa and Agaricaceae: Both are poisonous wild mushrooms that can be
found all over New Orleans. They are a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Japanese Magnolia and Star Magnolia: Both are a type of flower sharing the name
magnolia. Both can be found in New Orleans City Park area. They both have a white
color in their petals but the Japanese magnolia has pink in its white petals too while the
Star Magnolia is all white.
 Marsileaceae (water clover) and Menispermaceae (woody vines): Both can be found in
New Orleans. Both have a green color to them. Both of them are in City Park in New
Orleans.

Pecan tree and bald cypress: Both trees are natives of New Orleans and can be found in
City Park. Both share the same Kingdom of plantae as far as scientific classification goes.

All of these plants and or trees deals with commensalism because one does not really
benefit from the other in any case.

Source: http://neworleanscitypark

c) for each relationship between the two organisms, determine how each
organism is benefited or hurt in that relationship; and

d) Determine whether the two organisms are related by parasitism,

commensalism, or mutualism.

Lab Report for Tuning in Creation

Name: Antoine L. Mason Partners:

None

Lab Date: 1/15/17 Submission Date: January 2017, 25 9:33 p.m.

Lab Questions & Answers:

Identify five (5) different relationships between humans and biological

organisms. For each human-organism relationship

a) What is the name the organism? The name of the organism is a dog or
Canine.

b) What are all the known relationships? The known relationships between humans
and dogs are that they have been seen as friends, companions, alarms, help as
hunters, etc.
c) How are humans benefited or hurt in the relationship? Humans have benefited
from canines by the dog being able to read their body language. They can tell the
mood of their human masters and be there to comfort them.

d) How are the organisms benefited or hurt in the relationship? The dog
benefits from the relationship by being rewarded by a good master, but
could be hurt by this relationship if they are just seen as property or a way to
make money.

e) Are humans related to the organisms by parasitism, commensalism, or

mutualism? They are related by mutualism because they can positively benefit
from each other.