Question

explain each

1. parasitism between toxoplasma gondii and mice: the parasite infects mice, altering their behavior to increase the chance of being eaten by cats, which benefits the parasites life - cycle.

2.parasitism between toxoplasma gondii and humans: humans can be infected, and the parasite may cause changes in mood and behavior, harming the human host.
define the following as they relate to this topic:
symbiosis:
predation:
competition:

Explanation:

• Symbiosis is a close and long - term biological interaction between two different biological organisms. In the context of Toxoplasma gondii, its parasitism on mice and humans is a form of symbiosis where the parasite benefits at the expense of the host.
• Predation is an interaction where one organism (the predator) hunts and eats another organism (the prey). In the Toxoplasma gondii - mice - cat relationship, cats are predators of mice, and the parasite manipulates mice behavior to increase the likelihood of predation, which benefits its life - cycle.
• Competition is an interaction between organisms for limited resources such as food, space, or mates. In the context of Toxoplasma gondii, it doesn't directly relate to competition as described in the given scenarios, but in a broader ecosystem, different parasites or organisms may compete for host resources.

Answer:

• Symbiosis: A close and long - term biological interaction between different organisms, like Toxoplasma gondii with its hosts.
• Predation: The act of one organism (cat) hunting and eating another (mouse), which is influenced by Toxoplasma gondii's manipulation of mouse behavior.
• Competition: Interaction between organisms for limited resources; not directly shown in the Toxoplasma gondii - host relationships described but can occur in the broader ecosystem.