5.1 Communities and Ecosystems Flashcards
Define species
A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Define habitat
The environment in which a species normally lives or the location of a living organism
Define population
A group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time
Define community
A Group of populations living and interacting with each other in an area
Define ecosystem
A community and its abiotic environment
Define ecology
The study of relationships between living organisms and between organisms and their environment
Define autotroph
An organism that synthesises its organic molecules from simple inorganic substances
Define heterotroph
An organism that obtains organic molecules from other organisms
Define consumer
An organism that ingests other organic matter that is living or recently killed
Define detritivore
An organism that ingests non-living organic matter
Define saprotroph
An organism that lives on or in on-living organic matter, secreting digestive enzymes into it and absorbing the products of digestion
Define ‘trophic level’
A hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, consisting of organisms sharing the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.
