Which term describes the interaction in which one organism captures and eats another?

• A. Competition
• B. Inference
• C. Predation
• D. Succession

Answer: (C)

Predation is when one organism captures and eats another. This kind of interaction shows how energy moves through ecosystems: the predator gains energy from the meal, while the prey may experience population control and pressure to adapt. It’s a relationship driven by feeding, not just living near each other or competing for resources. For example, a lion capturing a zebra illustrates the predator-prey dynamic that shapes population sizes and ecological balance.

Competition would involve organisms vying for the same resource, not eating one another. Succession describes how communities change over time after a disturbance. Inference is a reasoning process, not a type of interaction between living things.