Symbiosis and Species Interactions

Vocabulary flashcards covering ecological species interactions including mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, competition, and predation based on the lecture transcript.

Symbiosis

The interaction between different species on a one-to-one basis, describing how two organisms interact with each other.

Predation

An interaction involving the killing and eating of another animal, transferring energy and matter from prey to predator (positive for the predator, negative for the prey).

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism feeds on or within another living thing, gaining nutrition and a safe place to live while causing the host to lose nutrition and energy.

Host

The living organism upon or within which a parasite feeds and lives.

Competition

An interaction where two organisms compete for the same resource, resulting in a negative outcome for both sides because neither gets as much as they could if the other were not present.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship that is positive for both sides of the interaction.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship that is positive for one species while not really helping or hurting the other species.

Cattle Egret

A big white bird in Oklahoma that walks in front of cattle to eat grasshoppers or mosquitoes, engaging in a symbiotic interaction with the cattle.

Remora

A fish species that swims underneath a shark to get protection and eat food bits that flake off when the shark eats, without helping or hurting the shark.