SYMBIOSIS

Plover Bird
Learning Objectives
• What is symbiosis?
• What are the different kinds
of symbiosis?
• Examples
 What is symbiosis?
Literal definition:
the act of living together
What it means:
•Two organisms that live together
•Temporarily or for a longer time
•At least one of the organisms
benefits from the relationship
 What are the different kinds
of symbiosis?

Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism

both one one
organisms organism organism
benefit benefits benefits
one one
organism is organism is
unaffected harmed
Mutualistic Relationship Examples
• Bees and Flowers -
the bees get to eat,
and the flowering
plants get to • the oxpecker (a kind of
reproduce. bird) and the rhinoceros or
zebra.
• Oxpeckers land on rhinos
or zebras and eat ticks and
other parasites that live on
their skin.
• The oxpeckers get food
and the beasts get pest
control
Commensalism Examples
Whale and Barnacle
• The whale reaps no rewards
from a barnacle attaching to
its body

• The barnacles gain an

abundant food source by
attaching itself to a whale Remora sharks
• Remora sharks have an adhesive disk on
the dorsal surface of their heads.

• They use this adhesive disk to “hitch a

ride” on larger animals, usually whales

• When food floats away from the whale’s

mouth, the remora can unhitch itself and
collect the scraps of food floating by.
 Parasitism Relationship Examples
• Fleas harm their hosts, such
as dogs, by biting their skin,
sucking their blood, and
causing them to itch.

• The fleas, in turn, get food • A parasitic fungus causes wheat

and a warm home rust and the downy mildew fungus
attacks fruit and vegetables.

• mosquito and humans

 Example 1:
Acacia plant with ant galls
Ants lay
eggs on
acacia tree
Acacia
covers the
infected
area with
brown flesh Parasitism: one
(gall)
enefits, one is harmed
 Example 2:
Moray Eel with
Cleaner Fish
Moray Eel gets a
clean mouth
Cleaner Fish gets
a meal
Mutualism: both
benefit
 Example 3:
Cattle with cattle egrets Cattle stir
up insects
as they eat
grass
Egrets
hang
around and
eat insects
Commensalism: one benefits,
one is unaffected
 Example 4:
Clown fish with anemone

Clown fish
gets
protection
Anemone is
unaffected

Commensalism: one benefits,

 Example 5:
Antelope with Oxbird
Antelope
gets rid
of
parasites
Oxbird
gets a
meal

Mutualism: both benefit

 Example 6:
Taenia worm in human eye
Worm
infects
human
blood
stream
Human
may go
blind Parasitism: one benefits,
one is harmed
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