SYMBIOSIS DATA SHEET
WHOLE CLASS EXAMPLES: (transparencies)
The alga produces food for the fungus; the fungus provides protection for the alga.
- inhabits the intestines of dogs. They
feed on food the dog is digesting. While they do not usually kill the dog, they can
weaken the dog, making it susceptible to other illnesses.
affect the clownfish. It is, thus, protected from predators and feeds on the sea
anemone’s leftovers, as it swims among its tentacles. The fish does not harm the
anemone.
head that attaches to the underside of a shark. It feeds on the shark’s leftovers. The
shark is unaffected by the remora.
fungus. The alga produces food for the fungus; the fungus provides protection for
the alga.
___________________________ Streptococcus is a bacterium that lives in throat using it as a
habitat and collecting food. The person gets very sick.
__________________________ Blind shrimp- digs and cleans up a burrow in the sand in
which both the shrimp and the goby fish live. The shrimp is almost blind, leaving it
vulnerable to predators when above ground. In case of danger the goby fish touches
the shrimp with its tail to warn it. When that happens both the shrimp and goby fish
quickly retreat into the burrow.
_________________________ Cleaner shrimp picks food particles from between teeth of
another organism.
__________________________ Oxpecker-sits on bull and makes noise if danger approaches.
Bull has poor eyesight. In return, Oxpecker gets protection. May also pick ticks,
leeches, and flies off bull. Oxpecker requires herbivore blood that past through tick.
__________________________ Epiphytes (small plants) grow attached to trees. Enables
them to obtain sunlight. Does not affect trees.
________________________ Protist – Lives inside belly of termite. Belly provides shelter
and food. Protists digest wood for termite.
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_________________________ Flea on arm biting and sucking blood. Causes pain, redness,
itching, swelling.
_________________________ Aphids are able to extract sugar from milkweed plant and
avoid the milkweeds poison. Aphids squeeze some the sugar out their backs for the
ants to eat. Ants protect aphids.
GROUP WORK:
_____________________ 1. Mycorrhizae- are associations between fungi and the roots of
plants. The fungi provide minerals to the plant, and the plant provides food to the
fungi.
______________________ 2. Egrets- are beautiful white birds that roost on the back of
cows. The egret eats flies that bother the cow.
______________________ 3. Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus that grows on the warm
moist skin of people, often around the toes of the feet. It may cause severe itching
and cracking of the skin.
______________________ 4. A robin builds a nest in a tree. The tree provides protection for
the nest, but is not harmed by the presence of the nest.
____________________ 5. A tick lands on a dog. It feeds on the dog’s blood. Large
infestations may weaken the dog and make it susceptible to other illnesses.
___________________ 6. In Africa there exists an unusual relationship between ants and
the Acacia tree. The tree provides food for the ants, and the ants protect the tree
from predators.
_________________ 7. There is a white bird that feeds on the particles of food left
between the Hippopotamus'' teeth. The Hippo does not harm the bird and benefits
from the teeth cleaning.
________________ 8. Mosquitoes- carries the larva of the heartworm. Their bit may
infect a dog. The heartworm larvae infect the dog’s heart, where they may live for
some time before killing the dog.
_______________ 9. Sea Anemones hitchhike on the back of hermit crabs collecting the
crabs leftover food. Crabs actively recruit the sea anemones to fend off predators
with their stinging tentacles.
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________________ 10. Ringworm-is a type of fungus that causes a ring-shaped itchy
patch on the skin of humans. The fungus obtains food from human skin, and the
human can become quite miserable.
__________________ 11. Coral and algae-Corals have a fairly easy life: they just sit back
and let specially adapted algae make much of their energy for them. The algae live in
the coral, feasting on waste products. Crucially, the algae can photosynthesize, using
sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into sugars. After taking what it needs, the algae
produce a little extra sugar for the coral. Completing the cycle, carbon dioxide from
the coral is used by the algae.
___________________ 12. Bees and orchids-Male orchid bee collect perfume from a wide
variety of South- and Central American orchids, and turn this into chemical signals
called pheromones. It's a messy procedure, which involves scraping brush-like
foreleg tips all over orchid flowers before transferring the heady scent to storage
sacs on the back legs. In the process, orchid pollen is conveniently attached to the
bee's back, where it can subsequently rub off onto female parts of other flowers. The
process is vital for orchid reproduction. Scientists aren't yet sure what orchid bees
do with their perfume-based pheromones. The potent concoction may attract
females, be used to mark territories, or it may just smell awfully good.
__________________ 13. Tiger and golden Jackal-solitary jackals, known as kol-bahl, will
attach themselves to a particular tiger, trailing it at a safe distance in order to feed
on the big cat's kills. Tigers have been known to tolerate these jackals: one report
describes how a jackal confidently walked in and out between three tigers walking
together a few feet away from each other
___________________ 14. Birds following army ant raids on a forest floor, as the army ant
colony travels on the forest floor, they stir up various flying insect species. As the
insects flee from the army ants, the birds following the ants catch the fleeing insects.
GRAFFTI:
6 teams are used. 6 large sheets of paper are taped to the wall in various spots
around the room. Faces are made on the paper:



on 2 sheets - two smiley faces
on 2 sheets - a smiley and a neutral face
on 2 sheets - two frowny faces
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Each team is assigned to a sheet of paper and given 1 minute to write
"graffiti" on the paper about the symbiotic relationship the faces represent.
The teams then move to a different sheet of paper. Each team must visit 3
different sheets. Like faces are then posted next to each other. Graffiti items
are then discussed and summarized.
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