| Term | Definition |
|---|
| population | A group of organisms of the same species that occupy the same geographic place at the same time |
| biological community | all the interacting populations of different species that live in the same geographic location at the same time |
| ecosystem | biological community and all the nonliving factors that affect it |
| biome | large group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of communities |
| biosphere | relatively thin layer of Earth and its atmosphere that supports life |
| symbiosis | the close relationship that exists when two or more species live together |
| adaptation | inherited characteristic of a species that develops over time in response to an environmental factor, enabling the species to survive |
| biology | science of life |
| constant | a factor that remains fixed during an experiment while the independent and dependent variables change |
| control group | in a controlled experiment, the group not receiving the factor being tested |
| dependent variable | factor being measured in a controlled experiment; its value changes because of the changes to the independent variable |
| development | changes an organism undergoes in its lifetime before reaching its adult form |
| experimental group | in a controlled experiment, the group receiving the factor being tested |
| growth | process that results in mass being added to an organism; may include formation of new cells and new structures |
| homeostasis | regulation of an organism's internal environment to maintain conditions needed for life |
| independent variable | the one factor that can be changed in a controlled experiment; is the factor tested and affects the experiment outcome |
| organism | anything that has or once had all the characteristics of life |
| organization | orderly structure shown by living things |
| reproduction | production of offspring |
| response | organism's reaction to a stimulus |
| science | a body of knowledge based on the study of nature |
| species | group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring |
| stimulus | any change in an organism's internal or external environment that causes the organism to react |
| abiotic factors | any nonliving factor in an organism's environment, such as soil, water temp., and light availability |
| autotrophs | organism that captures energy from sunlight or in organic substances to produce its own food; provides the foundation of the food supply for other organisms; also called a producer |
| biomass | total mass of living matter at each trophic level |
| biotic factor | any living factor in an organism's environment |
| carnivore | heterotroph that preys on other heterotrophs |
| commensalism | Win-neutral |
| detritivores | heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients |
| ecology | scientific study of all the interrelationships between organisms and their environment |
| food chain | simplified model that shows a singe path for energy flow through an ecosystem |
| food web | model that shows many interconnected food chains |
| habitat | physical area in which an organism lives |
| herbivore | only eats plants |
| heterotroph | organism that cannot make its own food and get its nutrients and energy requirements by feeding on other organisms; also called a consumer |
| mutualism | Win-Win |
| nitrogen fixation | process in which nitrogen gas is captured and converted into a form plants can use |
| nutrient | chemical substance that living organisms obtain from the environment to carry out life processes and sustain life |
| omnivore | eats meat and plants |
| parasitism | Win-Lose |
| predation | act of one organism feeding on another organism |
| trophic level | each step in a food chain or food web |
| boreal forest | biome south of the tundra with dense evergreen forests and long, cold, dry winters |
| climax community | stable, mature ecological community with little change in the composition of species |
| desert | area with low rainfall |
| ecological succession | process by which one community replaces another community because of changing biotic factors |
| estuary | unique, transitional ecosystem that supports diverse species and is formed where freshwater and ocean water merge |
| grassland | biome characterized by fertile soils with a thick cover of grasses |
| primary succession | establishment of a community in an are of bare rock or bare sand, where no topsoil is present |
| secondary succession | orderly change that occurs in a place where soil remains after a community of organisms has been removed |
| temperate forest | biome south of the boreal forest characterized by broad-leaved, deciduous trees |
| tropical rain forest | hot, wet biome with year-round humidity |
| tropical seasonal forest | biome characterized by deciduous and evergreen trees and a dry season |
| tundra | treeless biome with permanently frozen soil |
| wetlands | water-saturated land area that supports aquatic plants |
Combine with other sets
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