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Symbiosis
Definition: Symbiosis is any relationship where two or more species live closely together. There are three main types of symbiosis:
Mutualism:
Definition: Mutually beneficial interactions between members of the same or different species.
Example: Bees and flowers. Bees get nectar for food, while flowers get pollinated.
Commensalism:
Definition: One species benefits while the other is not affected.
Example: Barnacles on whales. Barnacles get a place to live and feed, while the whale is unaffected.
Parasitism:
Definition: The symbiont lives all or part of its life in or on a living host, benefiting while harming the host in some way. Parasites usually have a higher reproductive potential than the host.
Example: Ticks on dogs. Ticks feed on the dog's blood, which can harm the dog.
Energy Utilization in Organisms
Organisms use energy to maintain organization, grow, and reproduce. They employ different strategies to regulate body temperature and metabolism based on their energy needs and environmental conditions.
Thermoregulation Strategies:
Endotherms: Generate metabolic heat to maintain internal temperature. Examples include mammals and birds.
Ectotherms: Body temperature changes with the temperature of the environment. Examples include reptiles and amphibians.
Reproductive Strategies:
Long Day Breeders: Mate and lay eggs in the summer when days are longer. This strategy ensures offspring grow during favorable conditions.
Short Day Breeders: Mate in winter and give birth in summer, ensuring offspring are born when conditions are better for survival.
Metabolic Rate and Body Mass:
Animals with higher body mass typically have a lower metabolic rate per unit of body mass.
Example: Elephants have a lower respiration rate per kilogram compared to smaller animals like mice.
Energy Dynamics
Net Gain of Energy: Results in energy storage and growth of an organism.
Net Loss of Energy: Leads to a loss of mass and can ultimately result in the death of an organism.
Trophic Levels
Species are grouped into trophic levels based on their primary sources of nutrition and energy.
Primary Producers (Autotrophs):
Role: Use light energy to synthesize organic compounds.
Examples: Plants, algae, photosynthetic plankton.
Chemosynthetic Organisms: Some bacteria and archaea produce food using energy created by chemical reactions instead of sunlight.
Heterotrophs:
Dependence: Rely on autotrophs for food because they cannot produce their own.
Levels:
Primary Consumers (Herbivores): Consume primary producers.
Secondary Consumers (Carnivores): Eat herbivores.
Tertiary Consumers (Carnivores): Eat other carnivores.
Decomposers:
Function: Obtain energy from detritus (nonliving organic material such as leaves, wood, and dead organisms).
Importance: Essential for recycling chemical elements in ecosystems.
Examples: Fungi and many prokaryotes.
Energy Flow
Energy Flow: Unlike mass, energy cannot be recycled. The sun continuously supplies energy to ecosystems, which flows through various trophic levels.
Food Chain: Represents the linear transfer of food energy from one trophic level to the next.
Structure: Producer -> Primary Consumer -> Secondary Consumer -> Tertiary Consumer.
Food Web: A complex network of interconnected food chains.
Impact of Energy Changes on Ecosystems
Availability of Energy: Changes in energy resources can disrupt ecosystems by altering the number and size of trophic levels.
Increase in Energy: Leads to an increase in the number and size of trophic levels.
Decrease in Energy: Leads to a decrease in the number and size of trophic levels.
Effect of Producers: Changes at the producer level can significantly impact the entire food web, affecting the number and size of all subsequent trophic levels.
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