Midterm Exam
1. The leaf cutter ant community is a large amazing system that contains many different species that interact with each other on many different levels. Although many things take place during this extraordinary symbiosis, there are a few keystone mutualists within this leaf-cutter ant community that without them, the results would be almost catastrophic. For one, fungi are extremely important to the ants. Specifically, the fungus Lepiotaceae . The ants cultivate this fungus and feed it to their larvae. Leaf-cutter ants contain a bacterium called Pseudonocardia that lives on ants and kills off Escovopsis Fungus, which consumes the cultivated fungus. So, in turn, the leaf-cutter ants need the fungus to feed their young or else …show more content…
There are many interspecific relationships that occur everyday in every ecosystem. Bacteria for instance have a mutualistic relationship with Legumes. Specifically, the bacteria Rhizobia. When the bacteria enters the root, ammonia is created from the nitrogen in the air. And from this, the plant uses it to create amino acids. The plant then provides sugar for the bacteria. A parasitic relationship between bacteria and a human host would be the bacteria Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. This bacteria is known to be extremely contagious and deadly to humans, making it parasitic. There are some bacteria that are completely harmless. The bacteria Staphylococcus lives on human skin and does no harm and no good. This relationship would be considered commensalism. Now, Protists are unicellular organisms from the kingdom Protista. An example of a parasitic protist would be Plasmodium which causes Malaria. The prostist enters the blood stream, clogging capillaries and blood vessels, while destroying blood, which leads to death if untreated. Protists can do good as well. The protist Zooxanthellae , has a symbiotic relationship with coral reefs. Because Zooxanthellae is a photosynthetic protist, it acts as a food source to for the coral reefs. And in return, the coral reefs provide shelter and compounds for photosynthesis. Mycorrhiza is a symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants. The fungus Mycorrhizal gather nutrition from soil protecting the roots while the plant itself …show more content…
As mentioned previously, the relationship between fungi and plants is very important. Fungi begin in water about 1500 million years ago, (Wang et al., 1999). Scientists believe that the transition to land had to do with need for more nutrients and the development of mutualistic relationships. Land plants most likely came from the protist called green algae. The plants and fungi received their nutrients from the water surrounding them. But as time went on and the earth begin to change, the water would sometimes dry up, and the plants and fungi were left with no nutrients. These plants then had to get their nutrients from the soil. Over time, the plants formed a symbiotic relationship with the fungi called Mycorrhizae, as mentioned previously, which helped the plant obtain that nutrients. And in turn, the plant provided food for the fungus. Another challenge that plants had to face what the dry air. Since plants were used to being surrounded by water, they had to adapt so that they would dry out. Most plants now contain a waxy covering over of the stems and leaves to prevent water from leaving or entering. All of these adaptations occurred over milions of years and each played a vital role in the successful colonization of land plants . Fungi and plants allowed each other to transition to terrestrial environments. Because the plant was able to adapt to the changes and conserve water more efficiently, it was then able to feed the fungi, which helped the plant
1. The leaf cutter ant community is a large amazing system that contains many different species that interact with each other on many different levels. Although many things take place during this extraordinary symbiosis, there are a few keystone mutualists within this leaf-cutter ant community that without them, the results would be almost catastrophic. For one, fungi are extremely important to the ants. Specifically, the fungus Lepiotaceae . The ants cultivate this fungus and feed it to their larvae. Leaf-cutter ants contain a bacterium called Pseudonocardia that lives on ants and kills off Escovopsis Fungus, which consumes the cultivated fungus. So, in turn, the leaf-cutter ants need the fungus to feed their young or else …show more content…
There are many interspecific relationships that occur everyday in every ecosystem. Bacteria for instance have a mutualistic relationship with Legumes. Specifically, the bacteria Rhizobia. When the bacteria enters the root, ammonia is created from the nitrogen in the air. And from this, the plant uses it to create amino acids. The plant then provides sugar for the bacteria. A parasitic relationship between bacteria and a human host would be the bacteria Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. This bacteria is known to be extremely contagious and deadly to humans, making it parasitic. There are some bacteria that are completely harmless. The bacteria Staphylococcus lives on human skin and does no harm and no good. This relationship would be considered commensalism. Now, Protists are unicellular organisms from the kingdom Protista. An example of a parasitic protist would be Plasmodium which causes Malaria. The prostist enters the blood stream, clogging capillaries and blood vessels, while destroying blood, which leads to death if untreated. Protists can do good as well. The protist Zooxanthellae , has a symbiotic relationship with coral reefs. Because Zooxanthellae is a photosynthetic protist, it acts as a food source to for the coral reefs. And in return, the coral reefs provide shelter and compounds for photosynthesis. Mycorrhiza is a symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants. The fungus Mycorrhizal gather nutrition from soil protecting the roots while the plant itself …show more content…
As mentioned previously, the relationship between fungi and plants is very important. Fungi begin in water about 1500 million years ago, (Wang et al., 1999). Scientists believe that the transition to land had to do with need for more nutrients and the development of mutualistic relationships. Land plants most likely came from the protist called green algae. The plants and fungi received their nutrients from the water surrounding them. But as time went on and the earth begin to change, the water would sometimes dry up, and the plants and fungi were left with no nutrients. These plants then had to get their nutrients from the soil. Over time, the plants formed a symbiotic relationship with the fungi called Mycorrhizae, as mentioned previously, which helped the plant obtain that nutrients. And in turn, the plant provided food for the fungus. Another challenge that plants had to face what the dry air. Since plants were used to being surrounded by water, they had to adapt so that they would dry out. Most plants now contain a waxy covering over of the stems and leaves to prevent water from leaving or entering. All of these adaptations occurred over milions of years and each played a vital role in the successful colonization of land plants . Fungi and plants allowed each other to transition to terrestrial environments. Because the plant was able to adapt to the changes and conserve water more efficiently, it was then able to feed the fungi, which helped the plant