What is predation?

What is predation?

• A. An organism hunts and feeds on another
• B. A relationship where both species benefit
• C. A non-feeding association between species
• D. Two organisms of the same species compete for resources

Answer: (A)

Predation is a feeding relationship where one organism hunts and feeds on another. The predator captures and consumes the prey, gaining energy and nutrients that drive growth and survival. This interaction shapes food webs and helps regulate prey populations. Think of a lion chasing and eating a zebra, or an owl catching a mouse. This is different from mutualism, where both species benefit; a non-feeding association like commensalism, where one benefits and the other is unaffected, and competition, where organisms struggle for the same resources. So the idea that captures the essence of predation is one organism hunting and feeding on another.

Predation is a feeding relationship where one organism hunts and feeds on another. The predator captures and consumes the prey, gaining energy and nutrients that drive growth and survival. This interaction shapes food webs and helps regulate prey populations. Think of a lion chasing and eating a zebra, or an owl catching a mouse.

This is different from mutualism, where both species benefit; a non-feeding association like commensalism, where one benefits and the other is unaffected, and competition, where organisms struggle for the same resources. So the idea that captures the essence of predation is one organism hunting and feeding on another.