Everyday Science Academy

Interactions Between Organisms

 

Interactions Between Organisms

 

Prepared By: Maria Johanna Baguio Testa

Interactions between Organisms

Interactions between organisms are important because they:

  • Control the size of populations in a community, and
  • Create a balanced and stable environment.

The types of Interactions between organisms:

  • Prey-predator
  • Symbiosis (living together)
  1. Commensalism (the other organism is NOT HARMED)
  2. Mutualism (both organisms BENEFITS)
  3. Parasitism (the other organism is HARMED)
  • Competition
  1. Interactions between Organisms
  2. Interactions between Organisms

Prey-predator

  • Predator - an animal that captures and eats other animals. 

                      - are carnivores (organisms feed on flesh/meat) and omnivores (organisms feed  on flesh/meat  and plants)

  • Prey - the animal eaten by a predator.

               - can either be carnivores (organisms feed on flesh), omnivores (organisms feed   on flesh  and plants) or herbivores (organisms that feed on plant)

Symbiosis

Symbiosis - is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic. (living together)

Three main types of symbiosis:

  • Commensalism
  • Parasitism
  • Mutualism

Symbiosis :

  • Commensalism - is a relationship between two organisms in which one organism (the commensal) benefits from another (the host) without damaging the host.
  • Parasitism - is a relationship between two types of organisms in which the one organism benefits while the other is harmed.
  • Mutualism - is an interaction between two different organisms that benefit both.

Competition

Competition - is a type of interaction among organisms living in the same habitat in which each competes for its basic needs. Organisms compete with each other for food, minerals, light, water, shelter/habitat and or mate (male/female).

Competition may either exist in individuals of the same species and between individuals of different species:

  • Intra-specific competition - is the competition between individuals of the same species.
  • Inter-specific competition - is the competition between individual of different species.

Biological Control

Biological control - is a method of controlling a certain population of organisms.

                             - is more effective way to control pests.

Other examples of biological control:

  • Rearing fish in the pond to control the number of mosquitoes.
  • Using ladybird beetles to feed on aphids that destroy crops.

 

Advantages of Biological Control:

  • Does not affect the health of humans.
  • The pest is not resistant to the predator.
  • Does not affect or kill other organisms because the predator feeds on a specific prey.
  • Does not cause pollution.
  • Not costly.

Disadvantage of biological control:

  • When a new species is introduced to an ecosystem for biological control, it may upset the balance of that particular ecosystem.
  • Biological control takes a longer time to compared with using pesticides.
  • Biological control may cause problems if the link between the predator and the prey is not specific enough.

END