Biology Chapter 3 Vocabulary

Front 1

Biosphere

Back 1

consists of all life on earth and all parts of the earth in which life exists, including land, water and the atmosphere

Front 2

Species

Back 2

a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

Front 3

Population

Back 3

a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area.

Front 4

Community

Back 4

an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area

Front 5

Ecology

Back 5

the study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical envirnment

Front 6

Ecosystem

Back 6

all the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment

Front 7

Biome

Back 7

a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Front 8

Biotic Factor

Back 8

any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact, including animals, plants, mushrooms and bacteria

Front 9

Abiotic Factor

Back 9

any non-living part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind or water currents, soil type etc.

Front 10

Autotroph

Back 10

algae, certain bacteria, and plants can capture energy from sunlight or chemical and convert it into forms that living cells can use; does not need to eat other organisms for food

Front 11

Primary Producer

Back 11

the first producers of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms

Front 12

Photosynthesis

Back 12

captures light energy and uses it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

Front 13

Chemosynthesis

Back 13

chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates

Front 14

Heterotroph

Back 14

Animals, fungi, and many bacteria that cannot directly harness energy from the environment

Front 15

Consumer

Back 15

they must acquire energy from other organisms by ingesting them in one way or another

Front 16

Carnivore

Back 16

kill and eat other animals

Front 17

Herbivore

Back 17

obtain nutrients by eating plant leaves, roots, seeds or fruits

Front 18

Scavenger

Back 18

consume the carcasses of other animals that have been killed by predators

Front 19

Omnivore

Back 19

animals whose diets naturally include a variety of different foods that usually include both plants and animals

Front 20

Decomposer

Back 20

such as bacteria or fungi "feed" by chemically breaking down organic matter

Front 21

Detritivore

Back 21

feed on detritus particles often chewing or grinding them into small pieces

Front 22

Food Chain

Back 22

a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating or being eaten

Front 23

Phytoplankton

Back 23

primary producers of aquatic food chains, mixture of floating algae

Front 24

Food Web

Back 24

network of feeding interactions

Front 25

Zooplankton

Back 25

diverse group of small, swimming animals that feed on marine algae

Front 26

Trophic Level

Back 26

each step in a food chain or food web

Front 27

Ecological Pyramid

Back 27

show the relative amount of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain or food web

Front 28

Biomass

Back 28

the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

Front 29

Biogeochemical Cycle

Back 29

elements that are passes from one organism to another among parts of the biosphere through closed loops which are powered by the flow of energy

Front 30

Nutrient

Back 30

chemical substances that an organism needs to sustain life

Front 31

Nitrogen Fixation

Back 31

the process where bacteria converts nitrogen gas into ammonia

Front 32

Denitrification

Back 32

the process when soil bacteria obtains energy by converting nitrates into nitrogen gas, which is released into the atmosphere

Front 33

Limiting Nutrient

Back 33

the nutrient whose supply limits productivity