Unit 2- Org. of Life

Ecosystem

All the organisms living in an area together and their physical environment

Biotic factor

Living and once living organisms

Abiotic factor

Nonliving parts of the ecosystem

Organism

An individual living thing

Species

A group of organisms that can mate to produce fertile offspring

Population

All members of the same species that live in the same place at the same time

Community

A group of different species that live in the same place and interact with each other

Habitat

The place an organism lives

Archaebacteria

Microscopic single-celled organisms that do not have a nuclei and are found in harsh environments

Eubacteria

Common microscopic organisms that do not have a nuclei

Fungus

Organisms that absorb their nutrients, for example, mushrooms

Evolution

A change in heredity over time

Protist

Single-celled organisms that can be animal,plant, or fungi-like

Natural selection

Theory of evolution by Darwin, in which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive to reproduce

Artificial selection

The breeding of organisms by humans for selected traits

Adaptation

A change in a trait that improves the chances of success of a population