1. How Organisms Interact
It’s not me…it’s you…

2. The Nature of things…
Most consumer organisms are related by a predator-prey relationship.
One organism is the “predator” (hunter), the other is the “prey” (eaten)

3. Ecosystems need predators!
Primary consumers tend to have VERY large families (lots of babies).
Without predators to control the populations of primary consumers, the P.C. would eventually overrun the producers and destroy the ecosystems

4. It takes energy to be alive…
Q: So why is it a good thing that the MOST available energy is at the Producer level?
Q: Which level of an ecosystem seems to need the MOST energy to do what it does?
Producers simply need to make sugar and grow
Primary Consumers only need to walk to the next green pasture
Predator need to find, chase, and kill their food!
Important! There is only so much available energy
out there. So, why is it that only “the fittest” usually
survive out in the wild?

5. Symbiotic relationships:
When two or more organisms purposely live in the same space.
At least one of the organisms MUST benefit from the relationship to be symbiosis.
There are three types of this relationship: -Mutualism
-Commensalism
-Parasitism

6. Mutualism Both species in this relationship benefit
This bird lives on the back of the deer. The bird eats
little bugs in the fur of the deer and the deer gets cleaned
Both species in this relationship benefit
Doesn’t have to be two animals: Bats and saguaro
Here are a bunch of little doctor fish
that are cleaning a man’s foot!!!
The Doctor Fish is the little guy that other fish (including
sharks!!!) let swim into their mouths. They do this because
the doctor fish eats little parasites and cleans the fish!
Both fish benefit!!!
The bat likes to eat the inside of the flower, the pollen sticks
bat’s nose and when he sticks his head into the next flower,
that flower becomes pollinated and can reproduce!

7. Commensalism
Two organisms living together where one is helped but at least one other isn’t helped or harmed
These small fish swim next to large
sharks. The fish get small
scraps of food and protection. The
shark gets nothing in return…
Nemo?
The Clown fish swims near the Anemone for protection.
The Anemone get nothing in return…

8. Ticks dig themselves into a host’s skin
Parasitism
Involves one or more organisms living on or even INSIDE another organism the “host” is harmed.
Common examples: Fleas, ticks, tapeworms, and leaches
Parasites usually don’t want to kill it’s host!
This is a Lamprey. It lives in the water and
attaches itself to the belly of another sea
critter (like a whale). It then uses the nasty
circular teeth to eat away at the flesh of the
sea critter…NASTY!
Ticks dig themselves into a host’s skin
and suck away!
Mosquitoes suck fluid (blood) out of the host

9. Relationships Quiz: + + _ + + Fill in the blanks: Grrrr
This relationship would be:
Predator-Prey
The Lion is a:
The deer is a:
Predator
Prey
Organism A
Organism B
Mutualism + +
Relationship:
Ex:
Ex: _ +
Relationship:
Parasitism
Ex:
Ex: +
Relationship:
Commensalism
Ex:
Ex:
+ means good means bad