Biology
You will investigate mutualism, which is a type of symbiotic relationship. You will act as an Egyptian plover bird as you collect food from the mouth of a crocodile.
Over 1,200 Lessons: Get a Free Trial | Enroll Today
After completing this tutorial, you will be able to complete the following:
In ecology, the term symbiosis describes the close relationship that exists between different species. Some of these relationships benefit both species (mutualism), sometimes one species benefits at the other's expense (parasitism), and in other cases, one species benefits and the other is unaffected (commensalism).
This tutorial focuses on mutualism, a win-win relationship that exists between species. Examples include the Egyptian plover bird and the crocodile, fungi and algae (in lichens), and the termite and the protozoan that aids in digesting cellulose.
When ecologists study relationships to see if they are mutualistic, they will sometimes separate the species to see the effect. For example, with acacia trees, ecologists have fumigated the trees to kill all the ants, and then they observe the effects on the tree. From studies like this, they were able to determine that the ants benefit the trees.
| Approximate Time | 25 Minutes |
| Pre-requisite Concepts | Students should have a basic understanding of graphs, hypothesis, and species. |
| Course | Biology |
| Type of Tutorial | Concept Development |
| Key Vocabulary | algae, Egyptian plover, fungi |
