Question

What are organisms that grow, feed, and shelter on or in another organism (referred to as the host) while contributing nothing to the survival of that organism? Do parasites need a host to survive?

1) Predators
2) Symbionts
3) Commensals
4) Parasites

Answer 1

Organisms that depend on a host for survival without benefitting the host are classified as parasites, which aligns with option 4) Parasites. Parasites strive to keep their hosts alive long enough to ensure their own reproduction and spread to new hosts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The organisms that grow, feed, and shelter on or in another organism, while contributing nothing to the survival of that organism, are known as parasites. In the biological interaction of parasitism, the parasite benefits by deriving nutrients at the expense of the host, which is harmed in the process.

Parasites are usually adapted to this lifestyle and often have complex reproductive cycles that may involve multiple host species. To perpetuate their species, parasites generally do not kill their hosts rapidly as they rely on them for nourishment and as a means to spread to additional hosts.

Therefore, to answer the question, parasites are the organisms that require a host to survive and do not contribute to the host's survival. The correct choice among the given options is 4) Parasites.

Answer 2

The organisms that live on or in another organism and derive nutrients from it without providing any benefit to the host are called parasites. Parasites can weaken the host but typically do not kill them quickly, as they need the host to complete their reproductive cycle. The correct answer to the question is option 4) Parasites.

Step-by-step explanation:

Organisms that grow, feed, and find shelter on or in another organism while contributing nothing to the survival of their host are known as parasites. Parasites can cause harm to the host by siphoning resources such as nutrients, which the host would normally use to maintain itself. Although parasitic relationships can be detrimental to the host, it is generally not in the parasite's interest to kill the host quickly, as it requires the host to complete its reproductive cycle and possibly spread to new hosts. This strategic balance ensures the parasite's survival while it uses the host's resources.

Parasitic relationships are crucial to understanding ecological systems and come in various forms. Internal parasites, like worms living in animal intestines, and external parasites, like fleas, both depend on their hosts for survival and nourishment. The reproductive cycles of parasites are often complex and can sometimes involve multiple host species, emphasizing their reliance on hosts for their life cycle.

To answer the student's question, the correct option is 4) Parasites. Indeed, parasites need a host to survive, as they depend on the host for their food and habitat, and therefore cannot live independently.