To celebrate Valentine's Day in Biology Class, the students learned about the symbiotic relationships that exist in nature. Symbiosis is a close relationship between two or more species where at least one benefits. There are many different kinds of symbiosis, such as mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
The students studied the symbiotic relationship between barnacles and whales. The whales do not benefit from the barnacles but the whale's size provides a great amount of protection for these very small passengers. The whales do not seem to mind their interesting little travel companions.
The students also studied the beautiful relationship between the clownfish and sea anemone. The clownfish rubs the mucus of the anemone onto its scales and then is no longer seen as a stranger to the anemone. This saves the little clownfish from getting shocked while also giving it protection from predators who would be shocked by the sea anemone.
The class also studied parasitic relationships, such as fleas that live in the fur of dogs and/or cats.
The relationships that exist in nature gave each student a chance to reflect on their own relationships. Some students were given an opportunity to share the important relationships that exist in their lives with their classmates. It was a wonderful Valentine's Day lesson! Mrs. Roy
