Ecology: Lesson 4.3 The Connections and Interactions Among Living Things

Lesson 4.
3 The Connections and Interactions Among Living Things

Introduction to Life Science
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to describe how unifying themes (e.g., structure and function, evolution,
and ecosystems) show the connections among living things and how they interact with each other and with their
environment.
How are these units connected to each other?
Ecology
Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the study of living organisms and their relationships with each other
and their environment. Let’s take the diagram in the previous slide as an example.
The diagram depicts that everything is connected and interrelated with one another. They are different from each
other, but they co-exist with one another in one community. The unifying themes of life give us an idea of how each
of these themes contributes to the connection and interaction of living organisms and their environment.
Biological System
A system consists of related parts that interact with each other to form a whole. It has different parts, but each plays
a significant role for the whole to function as one. Without the help from each other, it cannot fully perform its
function.
Levels of Organization
The cells are considered as the basic unit of life. All living organisms are made up of cells. When cells come
together, they form the tissues. A group of tissues that perform the same functions form the organs. A group of
organs that works together form the different organ systems. An organism consists of many organ systems but
functions as one individual.
Forms and Functions
The function of an organism or a part of an organism greatly depends on its form and structure. It is related to how it
works. An example of this is the webbed foot of a duck which helps the duck swim and search for their food under
water. Others birds have different structures of feet used for perching and grasping food.
Learn about it!

Reproduction and Inheritance
Reproduction ensures the survival of species. All living organisms reproduce either through asexual or sexual
reproduction. In asexual reproduction, the offspring inherits the genes from a single parent. However in sexual
reproduction, the offspring inherit the genes from two individual parents. Some examples of animals that undergo
asexual reproduction include earthworms, hydra, planaria, and bacteria.
Animals that undergo sexual reproduction include some reptiles, fishes, insects, and mammals.
Energy and Life

Living organisms obtain energy from the food they eat. Plants undergo photosynthesis where they convert the energy
from the sun into sugar. Since most of the animals cannot produce their own energy, they get the energy from the
consumption and assimilation of the biomass of plants and other animals.
Thermal Regulation
The ability of an organism to regulate their internal conditions is called homeostasis.
Humans have to maintain a body temperature of 37 ∘ C. When the temperature outside our bodies becomes hot, the
skin cools down by perspiration, maintaining the normal body temperature.
Adaptation and Evolution
In a world that is continuously changing, life itself evolves. Evolution is the change in the physical and heritable
traits of organisms over successive generations. Organisms change over time to acclimate to their environment in
order to survive. If they fail to adapt to the changes, they usually become extinct. The Baiji white dolphin, for
example, became extinct due to diminished food supply and in addition to that, the pollution caused by human
activities. One contemporary example of adaptation is the Aedes aegypti or the mosquito famous for carrying dengue
that caused major outbreaks nationwide.
Their eggs were able to survive with scarce or no rainwater which is essential to their life cycle. Evolution takes
time, usually decades. However, there are times when change happens very rapidly. One example is the blue moon
butterfly that managed to undergo a mutation which allows the males to survive an infection of a parasite.
Explore!
Look around you and identify the living organisms that surround you. What makes them similar to one another?
What makes them different?
Try it!
Observe what happens to your body when you enter a very dark and cold theater. How does your body adapt to the
surrounding?
What do you think?

Which of the unifying themes do you consider the most important of all? Why did you say so? Key Points
 Ecology is the study of living organisms and their relationships with each other and their environment.
 An organism’s structure is related to how it works.
 An organism consists of many organ systems but functions as one individual.
 The function of an organism or a part of it depends on its form and structure.
 Reproduction ensures the survival of species.
 Living things obtain energy from the food they eat.
 The ability of an organism to regulate their internal conditions is called homeostasis.
 Organisms undergo adaptation or evolution in order to survive.
Test Questions
1. What is the process by which the sun's energy is trapped as the source of energy and is converted into chemical
energy?
 A. adaptation
 B. evolution
 C. photosynthesis
 D. homeostasis
2. Which of the following refers to the process by which changes occur in the characteristics of species of organisms
over time?
 A. evolution
 B. homeostasis
 C. regulation
 D. metabolism
3. Which refers to the maintenance of internal conditions of an organism within a certain range?
 A. adaptation
 B. evolution
 C. metabolism
 D. homeostasis
4. Which of the following sequences is likely to be observed in an elephant, going from smallest to largest?
 A. cell, organ, tissue, organism
 B. cell, organ, system, tissue
 C. organism, system, organ, tissue
 D. cell, tissue, system, organism
5. Which of the following does not follow the principle of form follows function?
 A. The thick and heavy bones of birds allow them to stay longer in the air.
 B. The fins of a fish help it to propel itself through the water.
 C. The beaver’s spoon-shaped tail helps them in swimming and is also used as a defense mechanism.
 D. The biconcave shape of red blood cells provides greater surface area which allow both red blood cells
and oxygen to exchange through the capillaries which are smaller in diameter than the red blood cells.
6. Which statement is not true about living organisms?
 A. Living things are made up of cells.
 B. Living things adapt and evolve in order to survive.
 C. Living things have different parts that depend on the structure and form for their functions.
 D. Living things are made of organic elements only.
7. Which of the following is not an example of homeostasis?
 A. Sweating cools the body down when temperature rises.
 B. Energy is captured by plants to convert light energy into chemical energy.
 C. If there is too much glucose in the blood, insulin converts some of it to glycogen.
 D. The capillaries underneath your skin get constricted to take the blood away from the surface of the skin
to warm the body up.
8. Which is true about the extinction of a species?
 A. It can be caused by a natural phenomenon.
 B. It is caused by humans only.
 C. It is never affected by human activities.
 D. It has a progressive impact on biodiversity.
Some members of a species have a genetic change that causes them to survive in their environment.
They have survived to reproduce and pass these genetic changes to their offspring.
9. What best explains this situation?
 A. All living organisms are made up of cells.
 B. Living things evolve through time.
 C. Living things interact with their environment in order to survive.
 D. Different organisms have to maintain different internal conditions.
Over a year, the population of Bengal tigers in India decreased by half of its original size.
10. Which statement below best explains this change in the Bengal tiger’s population?
 A. presence of rich habitat and sustainability in food sources
 B. poaching due to the increasing demand for traditional Asian medicines
 C. gradual change in climate and other environmental factors
 D. increase in the number of prey in the area

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Lesson 4.

3 The Connections and Interactions Among Living Things

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Energy and Life

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