8Th Organisms And Environment Staar Vocab

Front 1

Abiotic factor

Back 1

a nonliving part of an ecosystem, such as light, temperature, weather, soil, or water.

Front 2

Adaptation

Back 2

any characteristic that helps an organism survive in a certain environment.

Front 3

Asexual reproduction

Back 3

the production of a new organism from one parent.

Front 4

Autotroph

Back 4

an organism that produces its own food.

Front 5

Biodiversity

Back 5

the variety of organisms in a particular place, or on Earth.

Front 6

Biomass

Back 6

any material from living things that can be used as an energy source.

Front 7

Biome

Back 7

a large group of ecosystems that have similar climates and organisms.

Front 8

Biotic factor

Back 8

a living part of an ecosystem.

Front 9

Carnivore

Back 9

a consumer that eat mainly other animals.

Front 10

Cell

Back 10

the basic unit of structure and function in all organisms.

Front 11

Cell membrane

Back 11

a thin, flexible outer layer of a cell that holds the cell together and controls which materials can enter and leave the cell.

Front 12

Cell thery

Back 12

a scientific theory stating all living things are made of cells, the cell is the unit of structure and function in living things, and all new cells come from previously existing cells.

Front 13

Cell wall

Back 13

a protective layer that surrounds the cell membrane of a cell.

Front 14

Cellular respiration

Back 14

the process by which cells break down sugar to release stored energy.

Front 15

Chemical digestion

Back 15

the process in which large nutrient molecules are broken down into smaller, simpler molecules.

Front 16

Chloroplast

Back 16

an organelle that captures energy from the sun and uses it to make food for the cell.

Front 17

Chromosome

Back 17

a structure in the nucleus of a cell that contains genetic material.

Front 18

Circulatory system

Back 18

the human organ system that transports materials to cells and wastes away from cells.

Front 19

Classification

Back 19

the systematic grouping of organisms based on shared characteristics.

Front 20

Community

Back 20

all the populations that live in an area at the same time.

Front 21

Consumer

Back 21

an organism that gets energy by eating other organisms.

Front 22

Cytoplasm

Back 22

the fluid that fills most of the space in a cell.

Front 23

Decomposer

Back 23

an organism that feeds on dead organisms or the wastes of living things by breaking them down into simpler materials.

Front 24

Dichotomous key

Back 24

a tool that helps identify organisms by presenting paired, contrasting statements.

Front 25

Digestive system

Back 25

the human body system that breaks down food into nutrients the body can use.

Front 26

Dormancy

Back 26

a period of inactivity when a plant’s growth and development stops.

Front 27

Ecosystem

Back 27

all the living and nonliving parts of an environment as well as the interactions among them.

Front 28

Endocrine system

Back 28

the human body system that secretes hormones which regulate body functions and that coordinates other organ systems.

Front 29

Energy pyramids

Back 29

a diagram that shows the decrease in energy as it flows from producers to different levels of consumers.

Front 30

Environment

Back 30

an organism’s surroundings.

Front 31

Eukaryote

Back 31

an organism whose cells have a distinct nucleus and organelles.

Front 32

Excretory system

Back 32

the human body system that removes wastes produced by the body.

Front 33

External stimulus

Back 33

a stimulus that comes from the environment outside an organism.

Front 34

Extinction

Back 34

the permanent dying out of a species or larger group of organisms.

Front 35

Food chain

Back 35

a diagram that shows the path of energy as it flows from one organism to another.

Front 36

Food web

Back 36

a diagram that shows interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

Front 37

Gamete

Back 37

a specialized cell (sperm or egg) used for reproduction.

Front 38

Gene

Back 38

a tiny part of a chromosome that helps determine a particular trait.

Front 39

Habitat

Back 39

the place where an organism lives.

Front 40

Herbivore

Back 40

an animal that eats mainly producers or their products.

Front 41

Heredity

Back 41

the passing of traits from parent to offspring.

Front 42

Heterotroph

Back 42

an organism that feeds on other organisms.

Front 43

Immune system

Back 43

the human body system that protects against disease.

Front 44

Integumentary system

Back 44

the human body system that provides a barrier between the body and the external environment.

Front 45

Internal stimulus

Back 45

a signal that comes from inside an animal’s body.

Front 46

Kingdom

Back 46

one of the largest and most general groups into which organisms are classified

Front 47

Mitochondria

Back 47

cell structures that release energy from glucose.

Front 48

Muscular system

Back 48

the human body system that moves the body.

Front 49

Nervous system

Back 49

the human body system that detects and responds to changes in the environment and transmits information throughout the body.

Front 50

Niche

Back 50

an organism’s role in an ecosystem.

Front 51

Nucleus

Back 51

the center of an atom

Front 52

Omnivore

Back 52

a consumer that eats both producers and other consumers.

Front 53

Organ

Back 53

a group of different tissues that work together to perform a complex function.

Front 54

Organ system

Back 54

a group of organs that work together to perform a complex function.

Front 55

Organelle

Back 55

a structure inside a cell that carries out a specific function.

Front 56

Overfishing

Back 56

the removal of fish and shellfish from the ocean faster than they can be replaced.

Front 57

Parasite

Back 57

an organisms that lives on or in another organism (the hose) and benefits at the host’s expense.

Front 58

Photosynthesis

Back 58

the process in which a plant cell uses the energy of sunlight to make food.

Front 59

Pollination

Back 59

the transfer of the pollen, or male reproductive cells, of a flower to the female parts of a flower.

Front 60

Pollutant

Back 60

a harmful substance that is released into the environment.

Front 61

Pollution

Back 61

the release of harmful substances into the environment.

Front 62

Population

Back 62

all the organism of a species that live in the same place at the same time.

Front 63

Predator

Back 63

an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food.

Front 64

Prey

Back 64

an animal that is hunted by another animal for food.

Front 65

Primary succession

Back 65

succession that occurs in an area where no communities already exist.

Front 66

Producer

Back 66

an organism that makes its own food.

Front 67

Reproduction

Back 67

the process by which organisms make more organisms of the same kind.

Front 68

Reproductive system

Back 68

the human body system that exchanges gases with the external environment.

Front 69

Ribosome

Back 69

a cell structure that makes proteins.

Front 70

Sexual reproduction

Back 70

the production of a new organism from two parents.

Front 71

Skeletal system

Back 71

the human body system that supports the body and protects internal organs.

Front 72

Species

Back 72

a group of similar organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring.

Front 73

Structural adaptation

Back 73

a useful inherited trait of body structure or physical appearance.

Front 74

Succession

Back 74

the natural replacement, over time, of one community of organisms by another.

Front 75

Tissue

Back 75

a group of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function.

Front 76

Trait

Back 76

a characteristic of an organism.

Front 77

Vacuole

Back 77

a saclike organelle that stores materials inside the cell.