Environmental Science: Chapter 4 Vocabulary

Term
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all of the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment
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Terms in this set (21)
all of the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment
Ecosystem
all of the organisms, including animals, fungi, bacteria, and plants
Biotic factor
the nonliving parts of the ecosystem, including air, water, rocks, sand, light, and temperature
Abiotic factor
an individual living thing
Organism
a group of organisms that can mate to produce fertile offspring
Species
a group of the same species that live in the same space
Population
a group of various species that live in the same place and interact with each other
Community
the place where an organism lives
Habitat
the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce with more success than less well adapted individuals do
Natural selection
a change in the genetic characteristics of a population from one generation to the next
Evolution
an inherited trait that increases an organism's chance of survival and reproduction in a certain environmentAdaptationthe selective breeding of organisms by humans for specific characteristicsArtificial selectionthe ability of one or more organisms to tolerate a particular chemical designed to kill itResistanceoften found in extreme places, such as hot springsArchaeavery common and can be found in many places, including soil and animal bodiesBacteriaan organism whose cells have nuclei and cell wallsFungusa diverse group of both unicellular and multicellular organismsProtistwoody plants that produce seeds, but their seeds or not enclosed in fruitGymnospermflowering plants that produce seeds in fruitAngiospermanimals that lack backbonesInvertebrateanimals that have backbonesVertebrate