Predator - Prey Relationships :: Predators Animal Kingdom Biology Essays

Predator - Prey Relationships The family relationship between predators and their prey is an intricate andcomplicated relationship covering a great area of scientific knowledge. Thispaper will examine the different relationships between predator and preyfocusing on the symbiotic relations between organisms, the wide range of defensemechanisms that are utilized by various examples of prey, and the influencebetween predators and prey concerning evolution and population structure. mutualism is the interaction between organisms forming a long termrelationship with each other. Many organisms become dependent on others andthey need one another or one needs the other to survive. Symbiotic interactionsinclude forms of parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. The first topic of discussion in symbiosis is parasitism. Parasitism iswhen the relationship between two animal populations becomes familiar and theindividuals of one population use the other population as a source of foo d and potbelly be located in or on the forces animal or animal of the otherpopulation(Boughey 1973). No known organism escapes being a victim ofparasitism(Brum 1989).Parasitism is similar to preditation in the sense that the sponge derivesnourishment from the troops on which it feeds and the predator derives nourishmentfrom the prey on which it feeds(Nitecki 1983). Parasitism is different frommost normal predator prey situations because many different quick studys cornerstone feedoff of just one legion but very few predators can feed on the same prey(1973). Inparasite-host relationships most usually the parasite is smaller than the host.This would explain why many parasites can feed off of one single host. Anotherdifference in parasite-host relationships is that normally the parasite or groupof parasites do not bolt down the host from feeding, whereas a predator will kill its prey(1983). Efficient parasites will not kill their host at least until theirown life cycle has been completed(1973). The ideal situation for a parasite isone in which the host animal can live for a long enough time for the parasite toreproduce several times(Arms 1987).Parasites fall under two different categories according to where on thehost they live. Endoparasites are usually the smaller parasites and tend tolive inside of the host(1973). These internal parasites have certainphysiological and anatomical adaptations to make their life easier(1987). Anexample of this is the roundworm, which has preventive coating around its bodyto ensure that it will not be digested. Many internal parasites must have morethan one host in order to carry out reproduction(1989). A parasite may lay eggsinside the host it is living in, and the eggs are excreted with the hosts feces.