Ecosystems

Front 1

organism­

Back 1

­a ​living thing

Front 2

habitat

Back 2

­t​he environment that provides the things that an organism needs to live, grow, and reproduce

Front 3

biotic factors­

Back 3

t​he living parts of a habitat

Front 4

abiotic factors

Back 4

­t​he nonliving parts of a habitat

Front 5

photosynthesis

Back 5

­a ​process in which plants make their own food using sunlight.

Front 6

species

Back 6

­a​ group of organisms that are physically similar and can mate with each other

Front 7

population­

Back 7

a​ll the members of one species in a particular area

Front 8

community

Back 8

­a​ll the different populations that live together in an area

Front 9

ecosystem­

Back 9

t​he community of organisms that live in a particular area, along with their nonliving surroundings

Front 10

ecology­

Back 10

t​he study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

Front 11

population density­

Back 11

t​he number of individuals in an area of a specific size

Front 12

limiting factor­

Back 12

a​n environmental factor that causes a population to decrease

Front 13

carrying capacity­

Back 13

l​argest population an area can support

Front 14

adaptations­

Back 14

t​h​e behaviors and physical characteristics that allow organisms to live successfully in their environments

Front 15

niche­

Back 15

t​he role of an organism in its habitat

Front 16

competition

Back 16

­t​he struggle between organisms to survive as they attempt to use the same limited resource

Front 17

predation­

Back 17

a​n interaction in which one organism kills another for food

Front 18

predator­

Back 18

t​he organism that consumes another for food

Front 19

mutualism­​

Back 19

a​ relationship in which both species benefit

Front 20

commensalism­

Back 20

a ​relationship in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed

Front 21

parasitism­

Back 21

a ​relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it

Front 22

host­

Back 22

t​he organism that a parasite lives in or on

Front 23

parasite­

Back 23

a​n organism that benefits by living in or on another organism

Front 24

producer­​

Back 24

an autotrophic organism that serves as food for other organisms in the food chain. (plants and some bacteria).

Front 25

primary consumer

Back 25

­​organisms that eat producers (these organisms are also known as herbivores)

Front 26

secondary consumer­​

Back 26

organisms that eat primary consumers (carnivores and omnivores)

Front 27

tertiary consumer

Back 27

­​feeds on secondary consumers these animals are at the top of the food chain.