An organism that obtains its food from another living thing and, in doing so, harms that organism is called a

• A. Parasite
• B. Host
• C. Nematode
• D. Perennial

Answer: (A)

Think about interactions where one organism depends on and feeds from another. In this setup, the eater gains nutrients from a living partner and causes harm to that partner. That feeding relationship is parasitism, and the organism that benefits is a parasite. The host is the organism being harmed and used for resources. A nematode is a type of worm, and some are parasites, but the term itself doesn’t describe the relationship. A perennial refers to a plant that lives for more than two years, not to feeding relationships. So the term that fits this description is parasite.