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Mistletoe uses birds to spread to new tree hosts. Since mistletoe is using and benefiting from birds, why is mistletoe not considered a parasite of birds?

A. Mistletoe are plants, not parasites.
B. Since the birds eat mistletoe, it is actually predation.
C. Mistletoe is not actually benefiting from the birds.
D. Species can't be parasites for more than one other species.
E. The birds benefit from interacting with mistletoe.

Answer :

Final answer:

Mistletoe is not considered a parasite of birds because it doesn't harm or weaken the birds. Instead, it engages in a mutualistic relationship where both the bird (via food) and the mistletoe (via seed dispersal) benefit. The correct answer is option: a. Mistletoe are plants, not parasites.

Explanation:

In terms of biology, mistletoe using birds to spread its seeds is not viewed as parasitism because the birds are not intricately harmed or weakened by the action, but rather participate in a symbiosis relationship known as mutualism.

Parasitism involves one organism (the parasite) benefiting at the expense of another organism (the host) which is usually weakened or harmed in the process. Mistletoe, an example of a parasitic plant , is parasitic to trees because it takes nutrients and water from them, potentially harming or even killing the host tree.

However, with the birds, the relationship is quite different. Birds eat the mistletoe berries and consequently disperse the mistletoe seeds in their droppings. The birds get a food source (mistletoe berries), and the mistletoe gets a method of seed dispersal. Therefore, this is considered mutualism, not parasitism.

Learn more about Parasitism and Mutualism here:

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