Year 9 Biology

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