science term 1

• What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?


  Non-living components such as air, water, soil, sunlight, and temperature
• What are biotic factors in an ecosystem?


  Living components such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms
• How do abiotic factors differ from biotic factors?


  Abiotic factors are non-living, while biotic factors are living components of an ecosystem
• What basic necessities do abiotic factors provide for life?


  Air, water, nutrients, sunlight, temperature, and precipitation
• What roles do biotic factors play in an ecosystem?


  They produce food, consume food, and recycle nutrients
• What are examples of abiotic factors?


  • Air (oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen)
  • Water (rivers, lakes, oceans)
  • Soil (minerals, nutrients)
  • Sunlight
  • Temperature
  • Precipitation (rain, snow, etc.)
• What are examples of biotic factors?


  • Plants (trees, grasses, algae)
  • Animals (mammals, birds, insects, fish)
  • Fungi
  • Bacteria and other microorganisms
• Consumer


  Organism that feeds on other organisms or plants, heterotroph
• What is the definition of commensalism?


  Commensalism is an ecological relationship where one species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor benefited.
• What happens to the host species in a commensalistic relationship?


  The host species is neither harmed nor benefited.
• How does a commensal organism interact with its host?


  The commensal organism uses the host as a means of support, shelter, or transportation without directly consuming or harming it.
• What are the key characteristics of commensalism?


  • One-sided benefit: One species benefits, the other is unaffected.
  • No direct interaction: The commensal does not harm the host.
  • Obligate or facultative: Commensalism can be obligate (dependent on the host) or facultative (can survive independently).
  • Evolutionary adaptation: Relationships evolve over time as species adapt.
• What is an example of an obligate commensal relationship?


  An obligate commensal relationship is where the commensal cannot survive without the host.
• What is an example of a facultative commensal relationship?


  A facultative commensal relationship is where the commensal can survive independently of the host.
• Describe how symbiotic relationships differ from parasitic ones.
• Give examples of commensal relationships between plants and animals.
• Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both species involved benefit.
• Examples of commensalism include remora fish attaching themselves to sharks for protection from predators, barnacles living on whales for transport across oceans, and some bacteria living inside our bodies without causing disease.
• Symbiosis is when two different species live together closely and depend on each other for survival.