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Science - Grade 4/ Third Quarter/ S.Y. 2017-2018/Notes in Lesson 8.2: Interactions in a Community

FORMS OF INTERACTIONS IN A COMMUNITY

1. PREDATION – two organisms do not live together, where predator (an organism that hunts,
attacks or kills) feed on its prey (an organism that is attacked or killed)
 FROG and CRICKET. Frog (predator) is fed on small insects like cricket (prey).
 LION and BUFFALO. Lion (predator) attacks and kills buffalo (prey) for food.

2. COMPETITION – organisms in same or different species do not live together, competing for
limited resources like food, water, space or even mate.
 PLANTS. Plant roots growing close together compete for nutrients, water and space.
 LIONS and TIGERS. Both lions and tigers fight for the same food resources and even
territory.

3. SYMBIOSIS – relationship between two or more organisms that live closely together
a. Mutualism – is a relationship where two organisms benefit or help each other
 FLOWER and BEES. Flowers provide nectar to bees and the bees help flowers
spread their pollen for reproduction
 FUNGI and ANTS. Fungi grow on wastes of ants. Once the fungi grow, the ants eat it.

b. Commensalism – one organism benefits while the other organism is neither helped nor
harmed
 SMALL FISHES and SEA ANEMONE. Small fishes stay in the sea anemone to protect
themselves from big fishes while the sea anemone has not benefited nor harmed by
the fishes.
 MOSS and TREES. The moss receives more sunlight for photosynthesis if the moss
grows high on tree branches rather than close to the ground. The tree is not affected
at all.

c. Parasitism – one organism (parasite) while the other is harmed (host). The host is rarely
killed but the health is greatly affected.
 MOSQUITO and HUMAN or ANIMALS. Mosquito (parasite) that is fed by sucking
blood on human or animals (hosts).
 BACTERIA and HUMAN. Bacteria (parasite) use the body of human for
nourishment and reproduction while the human (host) gets sick.

*See the back of this page for more examples.

 ORGANISMS INVOLVED RELATIONSHIP
FUNGUS & ALGAE
 Fungus provides nutrients to algae MUTUALISM
 Algae provides food to fungus
TICK & FLEAS
 Flea gets nourishment from dog.
PARASITISM
 Dog is harmed… may become sick from bites/diseases
transmitted by the parasite.
CLOWN FISH & SEA ANEMONE
 Clown fish get protection from the anemone MUTUALISM
 Sea anemone get cleaned of parasites from the clown fish
INSECTS & OAK TREES
 Insects form a nursery called a gall on the leaf/branch of
COMMENSALISM
a tree. Insects have a safe place to develop.
 Tree us not helped or harmed by the presence of the galls
MISTLETOE & TREE THAT IT ATTACHED TO
 Mistletoe gets food and water from the tree
PARASITISM
 Tree loses food and water that it needs… eventually will
die.
SHARK & REMORA FISH
 Remora fish get free food by hanging out with sharks COMMENSALISM
 Sharks are not affected by the presence of fish
EAGLE & FISH
 Eagles can spot fish swimming in a lake from high
altitudes. They swoop down, and grab fish to feed their PREDATION
young back in the nest.
 The fish instantly dies and is eaten by eagles
COW & INTESTINAL BACTERIA
 Bacteria live in the intestines of cows and other
MUTUALISM
organisms. They help to digest food for the cow.
 The cow provides a warm, moist environment to live.
TWO MALE BIGHORN SHEEPS
 Male bighorn sheep, called rams butt heads to see which
one is dominant. COMPETITION
 The dominant male can mate with more females than the
non-dominant male sheep
ATHLETE’S FOOT: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOES &
FUNGUS
 Athlete’s food is a fungus growing between and around
human toes. PARASITISM
 The fungus gets nutrients from the human skin
 Athlete’s foot causes dry, scaly, itching, inflammation and
even blisters