CHAPTER 1, SEC. 3 VOCAB.

ADAPTATIONS

• A behavior or physical characteristic that allows an organism to live successfully in its environment.

DEER

• Deer have cuffed ears that help them here when a predator is coming.
• Deer also have long legs which help them jump high over fences.

OWLS

• Owls have spectacular eye sight which helps them to see when a predator is going to attack.
• Owls have long claws which help them grip on to the prey and the tree.

POLAR BEARS

• Polar bears have white fur to blend in to their surroundings and hide from predators. This is called camouflage.
• Polar bears also have thick fur so that they do not die from the cold air, since they tend to stay in the cold.

PREDATION

• An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

EXAMPLE 1

• An example of predication is a snake being the predator and the rat being the prey.

EXAMPLE 2

• Another example of predation is a bird and a worm

EXAMPLE 3

• A 3rd example of predation is a shark and a fish

SYMBIOSIS

• A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

MUTUALISM

• A relationship between two species in which both species benefit.
• Example:
• One example of mutualism is a human and a plant.
• Another example of mutualism is an ant and fungus.

COMMENSALISM

• A relationship between two species in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed.
• Examples
• A example of commensalism is a bird living in a tree.
• Another example of commensalism is a barnacle fish and whales.

PARASITISM

• A relationship in which one organism lives on or in a host and harms it.
• Examples:
• A example of parasitism is a white winged vampire bat to a mammal.
• Another example of a parasitism relationship is a polar bear to a fish.

PARASITISM

• Parasite- An organism that lives inside or on another organism and takes food from the organism in or which it lives.
• Host- an organism that provides food to a parasite that lives on or inside it.

NATURAL SELECTION

• A process by which characteristics that make an individual better suited to its environment become more common in a species.

NICHE

• The role of an organism in its habitat, or how it makes its living.

COMPETITION

• The struggle between organisms to survive as they attempt to use the same limited resource.