BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF

INTERACTIONS AMONG LIVINGS

THINGS

Describe the beneficial effects of interactions among livings things in their environment
Discuss the interactions among living things and nonliving things in tropical rainforests, coral
reefs and mangrove swamps. S6MTIIi-j-5
 Science Concept

Symbiosis is a close relationship

between two species in which at
least one species benefits. For the
other species, the relationship may
be positive, negative, or neutral.
 Each organism cannot live alone. We are
dependent to other organisms where we can get
nutrients and other needs of our body. The
relationships between two or more organisms
may have positive or negative effects to each
organism participating in the relationship.

In this lesson, you will describe the beneficial

effects of interactions among living things.
3
 Look Back!
Explain how animals benefit from each other. Complete the table
below.
ORGANISMS IN HOW EACH ORGANISM BENEFITS FROM EACH
INTERACTIONS
THE PICTURE OTHER?

4
 Buckle Up!
Write MUTUALISM if both organisms benefit from each other and
COMMENSALISM if one organism benefits and the other one is
unharmed.
_______ 1. A certain kind of bacteria lives in the intestines of humans and
many other animals. The human cannot digest all of the food
that it eats. The bacteria eat the food that the human cannot
digest and partially digest it, allowing the human to finish the
job.
_______ 2. Goby fish live on other sea animals, changing color to blend in
with the host, thus gaining protection from predators.
_______ 3. Humans utilize the oxygen that plants give off and exhale
carbon dioxide. Plants use the carbon dioxide to create that
5 oxygen that the humans need.
 Buckle Up!
Write MUTUALISM if both organisms benefit from each other and
COMMENSALISM if one organism benefits and the other one is
unharmed.

________ 4. Remora fish have a disk on their heads that makes them able
to attach to larger animals, such as sharks, mantas, and
whales. When the larger animal feeds, the remora detaches
itself to eat the extra food.
________ 5. Spider crabs live in shallow areas of the ocean floor, and
greenish-brown algae lives on the crabs' backs, making the
crabs blend in with their environment, and unnoticeable to
predators. The algae get a good place to live, and the crab
gets camouflage.
6
 Buckle up! ANSWER
S
1. Mutualism
2. Commensalism
3. Mutualism
4. Commensalism
5. mutualism
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 Gear Up!
Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it
is wrong.
__________ 1. An ecological community is defined as a group of actually or
potentially interacting species living in the same place.
__________ 2. Commensalism happens when a tiger hunts and eats a rabbit.
__________ 3. Commensalism is a type of relationship between two living
organisms in which one organism benefits from the other without
harming it.
__________ 4. Common mutualistic associations occur between organisms in
which one organism obtains nutrition, while the other receives some
type of service.
__________ 5. Human beings do not interact with other organisms.
 Gear Up!
Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it
is wrong.
_________ 6. Mutualism describes a type of mutually beneficial relationship
between organisms of different species.
_________ 7. Mutualism happens when an insect receives nectar or fruit
from the plant while collecting and transferring pollen in the
process.
_________ 8. Mutualism happens when dog bites a human being.
_________ 9. The species that gains the benefit is called the commensal.
The other species is termed the host species.
_________ 10. When we eat pork and chicken meat, we are doing a
commensalism relationship.
 Gear up! ANSWER
S
1.TRUE 6.TRUE
2.FALSE 7.TRUE
3.TRUE 8.FALSE
4.TRUE 9.TRUE
5.FALSE 10.FALSE
10
 Bolt in!
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF INTERACTIONS
AMONG LIVINGS THINGS

An ecological community is defined as a group of actually or

potentially interacting species living in the same place. A
community is bound together by the network of influences that
species have on one another.
Symbiosis is a term describing any relationship or interaction
between two dissimilar organisms. The specific kind of
symbiosis depends on whether either or both organisms benefit
from the relationship.
 Bolt in!
MUTUALISM
Mutualism describes a type of mutually beneficial
relationship between organisms of different species. It is
a symbiotic relationship in which two different species
interact with and in some cases, totally rely on one
another for survival. Common mutualistic associations
occur between organisms in which one organism
obtains nutrition, while the other receives some type of
service.
 Bolt in!
MUTUALISM
EXAMPLES DESCRIPTION

The bird benefits by having a readily available source of food. The

zebra or rhino benefits from having the bugs removed.

The clownfish has a safe place to live. The sea anemones are saved by
the clownfish from being eaten by their predators, the butterfly fish.

Humans utilize the oxygen that plants give off and exhale carbon
dioxide. Plants use the carbon dioxide to create that oxygen that the
humans need.
 Bolt in!
COMMENSALISM

Commensalism is a type of relationship between two

living organisms in which one organism benefits
from the other without harming it. A commensal
species benefits from another species by obtaining
locomotion, shelter, food, or support from the host
species, which (for the most part) neither benefits
nor is harmed.
 Bolt in!
COMMENSALISM
EXAMPLES DESCRIPTION
Remora fish have a disk on their heads that makes them able to attach to
larger animals, such as sharks, mantas, and whales. When the larger animal
feeds, the remora detaches itself to eat the extra food.

Goby fish live on other sea animals, changing color to blend in with the
host, thus gaining protection from predators.

Cattle egrets eat the insects stirred up by cattle when they are grazing. The
cattle are unaffected, while the birds gain food.
I. Guide Questions:

1. What is symbiosis?

2. Why organisms need to interact with other

organisms?

3. Differentiate mutualism and commensalism

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 Remember This
•An ecological community is defined as a group of
actually or potentially interacting species living in
the same place. A community is bound together by
the network of influences that species have on one
another.
•Symbiosis is a term describing any relationship
or interaction between two dissimilar organisms.
 Remember This
• Mutualism describes a type of mutually
beneficial relationship between organisms of
different species.
• Commensalism is a type of relationship between
two living organisms in which one organism
benefits from the other without harming it.
 Link It!
Read each question and write the letter of your answer in the
space provided before each item.
____ 1. What does symbiosis mean?
A. living separately, no relationship between 2 species
B. living together, close relationship between 2 species
C. living in a community with no interaction between each other
D. living together in fear of each other
____ 2. Which of these describes a mutually beneficial relationship between two
organisms?
A.A dog with worms in its intestine
B.A turtle and a snail that both eat grass live in a river
C.A honeybee pollinating a plant and receiving nectar for food
D.A small fish attached to a shark, eating tiny pieces of the shark's food as it
floats
 Link It!
____ 3. Which of the examples below can BEST be described as mutualism
between animals?
A. A tapeworm lives in the intestine of a bird and consumes what the
bird has eaten.
B. Mountain lions and wolves fight each other for the same deer.
C. A bird eats parasites off a rhinoceros while the rhinoceros protects
the bird.
D.Rats live in the garbage dump of a town and rarely interact with
people.

____ 4. Relationship where both organism benefit

A.Competition C. Mutualism
B. Commensalism D. Parasitism
 Link It!
____ 5. Relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither
harmed nor helped
A. Commensalism
B. Parasitism
C. Mutualism
D. Competition

____ 6. What type of symbiosis? Hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers.

The flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds as they move from
flower to flower.
A. Commensalism
B. Mutualism
C. Parasitism
D. Predation
 Link It!
____ 7. A remora hitching a ride on the shark is an example of which
symbiotic relationship?
A. Predator/prey
B. Mutualism
C. Parasitism
D. Commensalism
____ 8. The bacteria in our digestive system break down food we are unable
to break down on our own. It is an example of which symbiotic
relationship?
A. Competition
B. Commensalism
C. Mutualism
D. Parasitism
 Link It!
____ 9. What type of symbiosis? Skunks often live in burrows that have been
dug and abandoned by woodchucks.
A. Commensalism
B. Mutualism
C. Parasitism
D. Predation

____ 10. Honey guide birds alert and direct badgers to bee hives. The
badgers then expose the hives and feed on the honey first. Then
the honey guide birds eat.
A.Commensalism
B.Mutualism
C.Parasitism
D.Predation
 Link it! ANSWERS
1.B 6.B
2.C 7.D
3.C 8.C
4.C 9.A
5.A 10.B
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 Move Further!
Direction: Draw and explain pictures that show humans involving
in the following relationships.

MUTUALISM COMMENSALISM
 Reflection
For your reflection about the lesson, accomplish the following by
putting a check ( ) in the box.
1. Were you able to accomplish the lesson objective stated in this
work sheet? Yes No

2. What do you think of the activities? Easy Difficult

3. List down 2 ideas that you learned from this worksheet.
A. _________________________________________
B. _________________________________________

4. What part of the lesson do you need to study more?

A. _________________________________________
B. _________________________________________