Symbiosis refers to close, long-term associations between two or more species. There are five main types of symbiotic relationships: predation benefits one species at the expense of another; competition involves organisms trying to use limited resources; mutualism benefits both species; commensalism benefits one species without affecting the other; and parasitism benefits one species while harming the other. Examples of each relationship type are provided.

1. SYMBIOSIS

2. Symbiosis
• Close, long-term association between two ore more species
• “Sym” means together
• “Bio” means life
• Symbiosis means “living together”
• Relationships will always benefit at least one organism involved
• 5 types:
• Predation
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism
• Parasitism

3. Predation
• Relationship where one organism captures and
consumers the other.
• Predator: organism doing the capturing, organism
that eats the prey
• Prey: organism being captured, organism that is
eaten by the predator
• Predator’s survival depends on its ability to
catch their prey
• Speed, venom, web, etc.
• Prey’s survival depends on its ability to avoid
being caught
• Camouflage, physical & chemical defenses, etc.

4. Competition
• Relationship where two or more
individuals or populations are trying to
use the same limited resources.
• Resources: Food, water, shelter, space,
sunlight
• Example: Elks competing for food from
plants.
• Elk are herbivores
• There are so many plants in their habitat
• All of the elks are competing over the same
plants for food.

5. Mutualism
• Symbiotic relationship where both organisms
are helped or benefit.
• Example: Flowers & Bees
• Bees get nectar to make honey from flowers.
• Bees carry pollen from flower to flower resulting in
pollination.
• Bee is benefiting by getting food.
• Flower is benefiting by being pollinated.

6. Commensalism
• Symbiotic relationship where one organism
benefits and the second organism is
unaffected (neither harmed or helped).
• Example: Sharks & Remoras
• Remoras attach to the sharks body and feed
on scraps of food left by sharks.
• Remoras benefit by getting food.
• Sharks are unaffected.

7. Parasitism
• Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits or is
helped and the other organism is harmed.
• Parasite: organism that benefits
• Host: organism that is harmed, but not usually killed
• Example: Dogs & Fleas
• Dogs have an allergic reactions to the fleas and the fleas have
a home and gets food.
• Dog is harmed by being bitten and having an allergic
reaction.
• Flea benefits by having a place to live and getting food.

8. Name the Relationship
• The oxpecker (a bird) lives on a rhino eating all of the bugs & parasites on the rhino.
• Mutualism
• A lion hunting an antelope.
• Predation
• Clownfish that are protected from predators by living in a sea anemone with poisonous
tentacles.
• Commensalism
• Two different penguins feeding on fish.
• Competition
• A tick attaches to a human, sucking blood and possibly transmitting Lyme disease.
• Parasitism