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Chapter 18 Vocab
Life science terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
ecology | the study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with there environment. |
biotic | organisms that live together and interact with one another. |
abiotic | part of the environment that consists of the nonliving factors such as water, soil , light, and temperature. |
population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area. |
community | all the populations of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other. |
ecosystem | a community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
biosphere | the part of Earth where life exists |
herbivore | organism that eats only plants. |
carnivore | an organism that eats animals |
consumers | organisms that eat other organisms |
omnivore | an organism that eats both plants and animals |
food chain | a pathway of energy transfer though various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms |
food web | a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in a ecosystem. |
scaverngers | omnivores that eat dead plants and animals. |
photosyntheisis | the process of making food from the sun's energy |
producers | organisms that use sunlight directly to make food. |
energy pyriamid | a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystems loss of energy, which results as energy passes through the ecosystem's food chain. |
carrying capacity | the largest population that an encironment can support. |
limiting population | a resource that is so scarce that it limits the size of a population. |
prey | an organism that is killed and eaten by another organism. |
predator | an organism that eats all or part of another organism. |
warning colors | bright colors on an organism that warn predators that it is posonious. |
camouflage | blending in with the background of the enviornment. |
symbiosis | a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other. |
mutualism | a relationship between two species in which both species benefit. |
commensalism | a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other one is unaffected |
parasitism | a relationship between two species in which one species the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host ,which is harmed. |
coevolution | the evolution of two ;species that is due to mutual influence often in a way that makes the relationship more beneficial to both species. |
parasite | the organism that benifeits |
host | the organism that is harmed. |
pollinator | an organism that carries pollen from one flower to another. |