Term |
Definition |
ecosystem |
All the living things in a given place, along with the nonliving environment. |
abiotic |
The nonliving parts of an ecosystem. |
biotic |
The living parts of an ecosystem. |
habitat |
The place where an organism lives and grows naturally. |
community |
Groups of organisms living together in a certain area. The organisms interact and depend on one another for survival. |
niche |
What an organism does, why it lives where it does, and how it fits into its surroundings. |
aquatic ecosystem |
An ecosystem located in a body of water. |
diversity |
Difference (in this case, the different types of animals). |
abundance |
The amount (in this case, the number of a type of animal). |
classify |
To arrange or sort by categories. |
macroinvertebrate |
An organism that does not have a backbone and can be seen with the naked eye. |
dichotomous key |
A key used to identify living things. |
cell |
The structural and functional unit of all living organisms. It is sometimes called the “building block” of life. |
taxonomist |
A scientist who classifies organisms by characteristics. |
species |
A group of organisms that look alike and can breed with other members of the group and produce fertile offspring. |
ecologist |
A scientist who studies the relationships between organisms and their environment. |
biotic indicator |
An indicator that an organism is or was alive (could be a fossil). |
photosynthesis |
The process in which sugar and oxygen are produced by green plants and some other organisms using water, carbon dioxide,and energy from sunlight. |
carbon dioxide |
A colorless, odorless gas commonly found in air; carbon dioxide is used by plants in the process of photosynthesis. |
glucose |
A type of sugar. It is the main source of energy for living organisms. |
sugar |
A chemical compound produced by plants during photosynthesis. Sugars provide a source of energy used by living organisms. |
oxygen |
A colorless and odorless gas produced by plants during photosynthesis and used by animals for respiration. |
chlorophyll |
A green substance found in plants that is used to capture energy from sunlight during photosynthesis. |
cell respiration
|
The process by which food and oxygen are converted to energy; carbon dioxide, and water in a living cell. |
producer |
An organism capable of making its own food. |
herbivore |
An organism that obtains its food only from plants. |
carnivore |
An organism that obtains its food only from other animals. |
predator |
An organism that hunts and kills other organisms. |
population |
A group of organisms of the same species that live in a particular location. |
parameters |
The limits or boundaries (in this case, values).
|
pesticide |
A chemical used to prevent bugs from destroying crops. |
detritivores |
Organisms that feed on dead plants and animals. |
food web |
A series of interlocking food chain. |
law of conservation of matter (or mass)
|
A law of physics that states that matter (or mass) cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form. |
law of conservation of energy
|
A law of physics that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form. |