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Unit 5
Term | Definition |
---|---|
extinct species | species that no longer exists. |
biodiversity | variety of living organisms on Earth. |
symbiosis | relationship in which organisms live closely together over a long period of time. |
parasitism | relationship in which one species, the parasite, feeds on a second organism, the host. |
mutualism | symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. |
commensalism | relationship in which one organism benefits while the other organism is not affected. |
natural selection | process that makes it more likely that organisms with the best characteristics for survival in a specific environment survive, reproduce, and pass on their advantageous genetic traits. |
endangered species | species that has so few individuals remaining that extinction is a possibility in the near future. |
threatened species | species whose numbers are dwindling to a point at which the species could become endangered. |
adaptation | special, inherited characteristic that helps an organism better survive in its environment and which is developed over time. |
structural adaptation | physical characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment longer. |
behavioral adaptation | way in which an organism acts or responds to its environment in order to survive. |
mimicry | adaption in which one species copies the appearance or behavior of another species. |
reflex | behavior that is triggered automatically by something outside an organism itself. |
instinct | behavior that an organism carries out because it is genetically prone to do so. |