Algonquin College Health Program Assessment (AC-HPAT) Practice Exam

What are the three categories of symbiotic relationships?

1. Competition, Predation, Symbiosis

2. Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism

3. Commensalism, Amensalism, and Neutralism

4. Parasitism, Predation, and Competition

The correct answer is: Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism

The three categories of symbiotic relationships are mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Mutualism refers to a relationship where both species benefit from the interaction. An example of this is bees and flowering plants; bees get nectar for food, while helping plants with pollination. Commensalism describes a relationship where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. An instance of this would be barnacles attaching to a whale; the barnacles gain mobility and access to food while the whale is generally unaffected. Parasitism involves a relationship where one species (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (the host). An example of this is ticks feeding on a mammal’s blood; the tick gains nutrition while potentially harming the mammal in the process. This categorization is significant as it helps in understanding ecological interactions and the complex dynamics of ecosystems. The other options include terms and concepts that do not accurately represent the three main types of symbiotic relationships and therefore do not fit within this classification framework.