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Ch. 52 - Community Ecology
Freeman - Biological Science 8th Edition
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksFreeman 8th EditionCh. 52 - Community EcologyProblem 11a
Chapter 52, Problem 11a

Lyme disease is caused by infections of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (stained blue in the inset, among red blood cells), which is transferred to humans via blood-sucking bites from the tick Ixodes scapularis. Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms in the short term and more serious illnesses in the long term if not treated.
Why is Lyme disease on the rise in eastern North America?
In relation to humans, B. burgdorferi is a/an ____________ and the tick is a/an _____________.
a. endoparasite/ectoparasite
b. endoparasite/host
c. parasitoid/host
d. parasite/predator

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the definitions of the terms provided in the answer choices. An endoparasite lives inside the host's body, while an ectoparasite lives on the surface of the host. A parasitoid eventually kills its host, and a predator actively hunts and kills its prey. A parasite, on the other hand, depends on a host for survival without necessarily killing it.
Step 2: Analyze the relationship between Borrelia burgdorferi and humans. Borrelia burgdorferi infects humans and lives inside their bodies, causing disease. This aligns with the definition of an endoparasite.
Step 3: Examine the role of the tick, Ixodes scapularis, in the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi. The tick feeds on the blood of humans and other animals by attaching to their skin, which matches the definition of an ectoparasite.
Step 4: Eliminate incorrect answer choices based on the definitions and relationships. For example, Borrelia burgdorferi is not a parasitoid because it does not kill its host, and the tick is not a predator because it does not actively hunt and kill its prey.
Step 5: Select the correct answer based on the analysis: Borrelia burgdorferi is an endoparasite, and the tick is an ectoparasite. The correct answer is 'a. endoparasite/ectoparasite.'

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Parasite

A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and derives nutrients at the host's expense. In the context of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi is a parasite that infects humans, causing disease. Parasites can be classified into different types, including endoparasites, which live inside the host, and ectoparasites, which live on the surface.
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Host

A host is an organism that harbors a parasite, providing it with nutrients and a habitat for survival. In the case of Lyme disease, humans serve as hosts for the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The relationship between a host and a parasite is often detrimental to the host, as the parasite can cause disease and other health issues.
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Ectoparasite

An ectoparasite is a type of parasite that lives on the external surface of a host. Ixodes scapularis, the tick responsible for transmitting Lyme disease, is classified as an ectoparasite because it feeds on the blood of its host, which can include humans and other animals. Ectoparasites can transmit various pathogens, leading to diseases in their hosts.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Draw a vertical food chain (part of a food web) showing that sea urchins eat kelp and that sea otters eat sea urchins.

Use this model to (1) show or explain how a trophic cascade works; and (2) offer an explanation for why otters are considered a keystone species.

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Textbook Question

In some circumstances, the use of probiotics, which stimulate the rapid growth of bacteria that are mutualistic or commensal with humans, can eliminate the need to use antibiotics, which can wipe out helpful bacteria along with harmful bacteria. The use of probiotics is an example of which process?

a. Succession

b. Competitive exclusion

c. Parasitism

d. Niche differentiation

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Textbook Question

Suppose that a two-acre lawn on your college's campus is allowed to undergo succession. Describe how species traits, species interactions, and the site's history might affect the community that develops.

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Textbook Question

The carnivorous plant Nepenthes bicalcarata ('fanged pitcher plant') has a unique relationship with a species of ant—Camponotus schmitzi ('diving ant'). The diving ants are not digested by the pitcher plants but instead live on the plants and consume nectar. Diving ants also dive into the digestive juices in the pitcher, swim to the bottom, and capture and consume trapped insects, leaving uneaten body parts and ant feces behind.

What nutritional impact do the ants have on fanged pitcher plants?

Do the pitcher plants derive any nutritional benefit from this relationship?

Researchers tested the hypothesis that the relationship between diving ants and pitcher plants is mutualistic (i.e., both species derive a nutritional benefit). To do so, they compared leaf surface area (as a measure of overall growth) in two sets of pitcher plants: plants with diving ants and plants without. The results are shown in the graph. The P values indicate whether there is a significant relationship between the size of the host plants and the surface area of the host plants' leaves. Based on this graph, what conclusions can be drawn about the impact of diving ants on overall plant growth?

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Textbook Question

Lyme disease is caused by infections of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (stained blue in the inset, among red blood cells), which is transferred to humans via blood-sucking bites from the tick, Ixodes scapularis. Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms in the short term and more serious illnesses in the long term if not treated.

Why is Lyme disease on the rise in eastern North America?

Newly hatched ticks do not harbor B. burgdorferi. Rather, they pick it up from certain hosts that are reservoirs of the bacterium. When a larval tick crawls onto a host, it may get groomed off and killed by the host, or it may feed successfully, in which case it may or may not then become infected with B. burgdorferi. Felicia Keesing and others measured the rate of tick feeding and infection on different hosts.

What percentage of ticks on mice were infected with B. burgdorferi? What percentage of ticks on opossums were groomed off and killed?

1258
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Textbook Question

The carnivorous plant Nepenthes bicalcarata ('fanged pitcher plant') has a unique relationship with a species of ant—Camponotus schmitzi ('diving ant'). The diving ants are not digested by the pitcher plants, but instead live on the plants and consume nectar. Diving ants also dive into the digestive juices in the pitcher, swim to the bottom, and capture and consume trapped insects, leaving uneaten body parts and ant feces behind.

What nutritional impact do the ants have on fanged pitcher plants?

Do the pitcher plants derive any nutritional benefit from this relationship?

Based on the background information presented here, does the relationship between diving ants and pitcher plants appear to be mutualistic? Explain.

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