NAEP Science Grade 12

Category - Biology

Which of the following is an example of a mutualistic relationship between two organisms?
  1. Hawks hunting mice during the day and owls hunting mice at night.
  2. Ants obtaining food from aphids and protecting them from predators.
  3. Ticks feeding on a moose's blood and dispersing at the same time.
  4. Bees feeding on thistle nectar and siskins feeding on thistle seeds.
Explanation
Correct Response: B. In a mutualistic relationship, both organisms benefit from the relationship. Ants benefit by obtaining food from aphids, and aphids benefit from ants protecting them from predators. Hawks (A) and owls have a predator/prey relationship with mice, and they compete with each other for mice as a food source. Both hawks and owls benefit from mice, but mice do not benefit from hawks and owls. The relationship between a tick and a moose is a parasitic relationship. The tick benefits from feeding on the moose's blood (C), but the moose does not benefit from the tick. In fact, the moose can become weak and debilitated from the loss of blood. Bees and siskins feed on different parts of the thistle plant, so they do not compete for thistle as a resource, but neither do they benefit from each other (D).
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