Question

Which of the following scenarios is representative of parasitism?

a.
Tapeworms living in a mammal’s intestinal tract
b.
Remora fish attaching themselves to sharks
c.
Birds feeding on insects stirred up by grazing animals
d.
Birds eating scraps of food from a crocodile’s teeth

Answer 1

A, definitely A. The A example, only the tapeworm gains something, the mammal doesn't gain anything whilst in the other examples, both the organisms gain something, for example in B the remora can remove parasites which is good for the fish and provide the remora with food.

Answer 2

I believe the correct answer from the choices listed above is option A. Tapeworms living in a mammal’s intestinal tract is the scenario that is representative of parasitism. The tapeworms are the parasites and the mammal is the host. Hope this answers the question.