Organisms and Populations Test - 14

• Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. 
• Amensalism is a type of biological interaction. It is an association between two organisms if different species where one is adversely affected and the other stays unaffected.
• Competition is an interaction between organisms or species in which both the organisms or species are harmed.
• Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey.
  
• So, the correct answer is 'a-iv-Q, b-iii-P, c-ii-S, d-i-R'
  

Epiphyte plants grow by taking support of other plants. They have hanging roots, which collect moisture of air by velamen tissue. These plants synthesize their own food. Example mosses, orchids etc.

Correct Option: B

Explanation:

In commensalism, one species is benefitted without the other being harmed. It is of two types periodic contact and continuous contact.
Some examples of periodic contact commensalism are jackal and hyenas accompanying big cats like tiger or lions for eating small bits of left over of prey's body.
Suckerfish attaches to the underside of shark and feed on small left over when the shark is feeding. Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Parasites are those organisms which obtain their nutrition from hosts.These parasites maintain physical contacts with the host plant through haustoria which are parasitic roots. These structures penetrate into host tissue and make connections with the conducting elements of host and draw nourishment. The common example includes Cuscuta (Total Stem parasite) which is never green and consequently they have no power to prepare their own food. They get all their food supply from the host plants. Hence option B is correct.

Endophyte is the plants living symbiotically inside other plants. Saprophytes grow on the dead and decaying matter. Parasites adapt heterotrophic nutrition and withdraw the nutrition from the hosts. Semiparasite prepares food by themselves but during unfavourable condition, they depend on the host and withdraws the food. Mistletoe is a hemiparasite.

Nepenthes and Sarracenia are the pitcher plants. Sarracenia is a genus North American pitcher plants. They are commonly called as trumpet pitchers.

Nepenthes is a pitcher plant and bladderwort is the common name of Utricularia. Both nepenthes and Utricularia are insectivorous plants. Rafflesia is a total root parasite. Viscum is commonly called mistletoe. It is a partial stem parasite. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Pedology is the study of soils in their natural environment. It is one of the two branches of soil.

Fungi are achlorophyllous organisms, that feed on dead and decaying organic matter. In an ecosystem, Fungi act as decomposers and play an important role in nutrient recycling. They release the mineral nutrients trapped in dead and decaying organic matter.

An ecosystem is a segment of biosphere consisting of a community of living organisms and the abiotic or physical environment interacting and exchanging materials between them.