Key Concepts: Organisms and Their Relationships

Ecological Relationships

Organisms interact with each other in various ways within ecosystems:

• Predation: One organism (predator) kills and eats another (prey)
• Competition: Organisms compete for limited resources
• Symbiosis: Close, long-term relationships between species

Types of Symbiosis

• Mutualism: Both species benefit (e.g., bees and flowers)
• Commensalism: One benefits, other unaffected (e.g., barnacles on whales)
• Parasitism: One benefits, other is harmed (e.g., ticks on dogs)