sience vocab for ch. 1
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46 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ecosystem | a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment |
| biotic factor | all the living things in an ecosystem |
| abiotic factor | a nonliving part of an ecosystem |
| humus | partially decomposed organic matter |
| acidity | amount of acid in a substance |
| alkalinity | the strength of a base |
| ecology | the branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms and their environment |
| population | a group of organisms of the same species populating a given area |
| community | all the populations living in an area |
| habitat | the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs |
| niche | (ecology) the status of an organism within its environment and community (affecting its survival as a species) |
| chloroplasts | organelles that capture the energy from sunlight and convert it into chemical energy in a process called photosynthesis |
| chlorophyll | green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy used to carry out photosynthesis |
| photosynthesis | process by which plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars(food) |
| roots | Absorbs water and minerals from the ground. Anchors plant in ground. |
| stems | are the parts of a plant that support leaves and flowers |
| transpiration | is the loss of water from plant leaves |
| respiration | the release of energy in plants and animals from food |
| microscope | is an instrument that produces an enlarged image of an object |
| electron microscope | scientists study very small, nonliving organisms and other objects with this |
| prokaryotes | have a simple cell structure without a nucleus in each structure without a nucleus in each cell |
| eukaryotes | are more complex organisms that do have a nucleus in each cell |
| protist | is a single-cell, eukaryotic organism that cannot be clearly classified as an animal or plant. |
| Producers | plants and algae, are organism that use energy from the Sun to make their own food |
| Consumers | get energyt by feeding directly on producers or by eating animals that feed on producers |
| Decomposers | break down dead organisms into simpler substances |
| food chain | shows how energy flows from one organism to another in an ecosystem |
| Primary Consumers | organisms that eat producers, are the second link in a food chain after producers |
| Secondary Consumers | the organisms that get their energy by eating primary consumers |
| Tertiary Consumes | usually the top predator in a food chain |
| Food Web | shows all the food chins in an eco system and how they overlap |
| Herbivores | Primary Consumers or animals that eat producers - plants |
| Carnivors | Secondary and Tertiary consumers - animals that eath other animals |
| Omnivores | Animals that eat both producers and consumers |
| Predators | living things that hunt and kill other living things for food |
| Prey | the animals that are hunted by Predators |
| Scavengers | seek out the remains of dead animals to eat |
| Energy Pyramid | Models that show how energy moves through a food chain. |
| Water Cycle | continuous movement of water between Earth's surface and the air. |
| Evaporation | the process in which a liquid changes into a gas |
| Condensation | the process in which a gas changes into a liquid |
| Percipitation | any form of water that falls to the earth |
| Carbon Cycle | the process by which carbon is recycled between the atmosphere and living things |
| Nitrogen Cycle | continuous trapping of nitrogen gas into compounds in the soil and returning of nitrogen gas to the air. |
| Nitrates & Nitrites | usable compounds converted by bacteria from Nitrogen. |
| Composting | the process in which decomposers break down organic mater so it can be used for as a natural fertilizer for gardening or farming. |
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