Symbiosis

Question 1

Which sentence best explains what scientists mean by the term symbiosis?

Accepted Answer

A long‑lasting, close interaction between two different species that ties their lives together.

Answer

A short‑term meeting of animals at a watering hole.

Answer

A competition between members of the same species for the same food.

Answer

A situation where one animal eats another animal.

Question 2

Which of the following situations is an example of a commensal relationship?

Accepted Answer

Barnacles stick to a whale’s skin, getting food particles while the whale is not affected.

Answer

Bees gather nectar from flowers, and the flowers get pollinated.

Answer

Cuckoo birds lay their eggs in another bird’s nest, leaving the host bird to raise the cuckoo chick.

Answer

A lion hunts a zebra for its meat.

Question 3

Which group of three descriptions correctly matches (1) a mutualistic relationship, (2) a commensal relationship, and (3) a parasitic relationship?

Accepted Answer

(1) Bees gather nectar from flowers and, while doing so, pollinate the flowers. (2) Barnacles attach to a whale; the whale is neither helped nor hurt. (3) Lice live on a dog, feeding on its blood and making the dog itchy.

Answer

(1) Bees gather nectar from flowers, but the flowers lose all their pollen. (2) Remora fish cling to sharks and eat leftover scraps. (3) Oxpeckers eat ticks on rhinos, helping both animals.

Answer

(1) Oxpeckers eat ticks on zebras, helping both. (2) Barnacles attach to a whale, giving the whale extra protection. (3) Lice feed on a dog’s skin, making the dog itchy.

Answer

(1) Moss grows on a tree and uses its shade. (2) Bees gather nectar from flowers while pollinating them. (3) Ticks bite deer, feeding on the deer’s blood.

Try three questions

Which sentence best explains what scientists mean by the term symbiosis?

Which of the following situations is an example of a commensal relationship?

Which group of three descriptions correctly matches (1) a mutualistic relationship, (2) a commensal relationship, and (3) a parasitic relationship?

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