Symbiotic Relationships

The three types of symbiosis, plus 1

Symbiosis

• Parasitism "I WIN – YOU LOSE" (+ -) The association is disadvantageous or destructive to one of the organisms and beneficial to the other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHHQIQsPvGcBotfly

Parasitism

• Ectoparasite: lives on the surface of another organism to obtain food from the host

• Example: tick, leech, aphid on a leaf

• Endoparasite: lives inside the tissues of its host

• Example: tapeworm, malaria, leaf minor.

Symbiosis

• Mutualism "I WIN – YOU WIN" (+ +) The association is advantageous to both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3bWqlPLpMgAnt and caterpillar

Mutualism

• Association between organisms of different species that benefits both partners and harms neither.

• Example: Pollinators; birds, pygmy possums, will feed off a flowering plant and in turn carry the pollen from one plant to another to cause fertilization of the plant.

Mutualism

• Symbiotic Digesters: are complex communities of microorganisms that live in the gut of many animals.

• Without these cows, sheep, koalas and termites etc. would not be able to digest their food.

• These microorganisms secrete enzymes into the gut of the animal and aid in the breakdown and digestion of cellulous.

• In turn the microorganisms have a relatively safe place to live.

Symbiosis

Commensalism "I WIN" (+ 0) (and I don’t really care whether you WIN or LOSE) One member of the association benefits while the other is not affected - the main types of commensalism are using the waste from another, using another for transport or using another for shelter or housing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqa0OPbdvjw

Symbiosis

• Amensalism "YOU LOSE" (- 0)The association is disadvantageous to one member while the other is not affected.

• To clarify Amensalism is an interaction between two species where one impedes or restricts the success of the other while not being affected, positively or negatively, by the presence of the other

Niches

• Niche refers to the way of life of an organism. • In a community members of various species

use the food and space resources in different ways and at different times.

• Thereby avoiding competition with each other and occupying different niches within the same community.