Parasites and Mutualists

Question 1

give 4 examples of a parasite, the host and what it does

Answer 1

flea - other animals, including humans - fleas feed by sucking the animals blood after piercing its skin
head louse - humans - head lice feed by sucking blood after piercing the skin on the head
tapeworm - other animals, including humans - they live in the animals intestine and absorb nutrients from the digested food in the intestine
mistletoe - trees, e.g. apple - grows roots into the tree to absorb water and nutrients form the host.

Question 2

give 3 examples of mutualism

Answer 2

oxpeckers - benefits by getting food, herbivore - benefits from loss of skin parasites
cleaner fish - benefit by getting food, larger fish - benefits from the loss of dead skin and parasites
nitrogen fixing bacteria - in root nodules are protected from environment and get food from the plant, legume - plant gets nitrogen compounds for healthy growth from the bacteria

Question 3

how is the relationship between chemosynthetic bacteria and tube worms in deep-sea a mutualistic relationship

Answer 3

tube worms benefit by getting food from bacteria inside them. bacteria benefits by being protected from the harsh environment around the vent.

Question 4

what is a parasite

Answer 4

a parasite is something that which feeds on another organism (the host) while they are living together. a parasite may be a plant or a animal.