organism
An individual living thing
population
A group of the same organism
community
Populations of different organisms living together in an area
ecosystem
A balanced environment between communities of living things with their nonliving surroundings
ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment
ecologist
A scientist who studies ecology
species
Group of similar individuals which can reproduce fertile offspring
environment
All the factors in an organisms surroundings that affect it
habitat
A place where an organism lives
biotic factors
A living factor of the environment
abiotic factors
A nonliving factor of the environment
symbiosis
Living together. The relationships between different organisms
mutualism
Both organisms benefit by living together and depend on each other for survival
commensalism
One organisms benefits but the other is not affected
parasitism
One organism benefits and the other is harmed.
predation
One organism, predator feeds on other organism, prey
competition
Organisms striving to use the same resources needed for survival
pollination
Transfer of pollen grain to stigma of flower
disease
Anything that upsets the normal functioning of the body
food chain
The flow of energy from organism to organism in a series of feeding relationships
chlorophyll
The chemical in plants that traps energy from the Sun in photosynthesis
photosynthesis
The process used by plants to make their own food
producer
An organism able to make its own food. All plants are this type
consumers
Animals that must eat other organisms to get the energy and nutrients they need.
herbivore
An animal that eats only plants
carnivore
A consumer that eats only animals
omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
1st order consumer
A consumer that eats a producer
2nd order consumer
A consumer that eats a first order consumer
scavenger
An animal that feeds on dead animals rather than hunting live prey
plankton
Microscopic organisms that float freely with ocean currents or in other bodies of water
decomposer
Organisms that get the energy they need by breaking down dead matter
food web
A number of food chains combined
keystone species
Species that are critical to the survival of an entire ecosystem