Final answer:
Ruminants and methanogens have a mutualistic relationship in which the methanogens aid in digestion and receive a stable environment. Predation involves the predator killing and consuming the prey, while parasitism involves the parasite benefiting at the expense of the host. Commensalism benefits one organism without harming the other, while cooperation involves mutually beneficial interactions between organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a mutualistic relationship, ruminants, such as cows or sheep, have a specialized digestive system called a rumen. The rumen contains bacteria and methanogens, which produce methane gas. The methanogens break down the complex carbohydrates in the ruminant's diet into simpler compounds, providing energy for the ruminant. In return, methanogens receive a stable environment and a source of nutrients from the ruminant's digestive system. This mutualistic relationship benefits both the ruminant and the methanogens.
Predation and parasitism are two types of symbiotic interactions, but they differ in their effects on the host. Predation involves one organism, the predator, killing and consuming another organism, the prey, for its own survival. Parasitism, on the other hand, is a relationship in which one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the host organism, usually by living on or within the host and feeding on its resources. The host is harmed in parasitism, whereas the prey is killed in predation.
Commensalism is a symbiotic interaction in which one organism benefits while the other neither benefits nor is harmed. In commensalism, the organism that benefits gains a resource or support, while the other organism is unaffected. Cooperation, however, involves mutually beneficial interactions between two or more organisms. In cooperation, the organisms work together to achieve a common goal, such as obtaining food or protection.
Learn more about Symbiotic relationships