CH. 4 key terms Flashcards
ecosystem
biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
biotic factor
a living thing that affects other things
abiotic factor
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
organism
an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form
species
group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
population
all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country
community
a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common
habitat
the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
natural selection
he process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
evolution
he process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
adaptation
the action or process of adapting or being adapted.
artificial selection
the identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals,
resistence
the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.
archaea
any of a group of single-celled prokaryotic organisms
bacteria
a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some that can cause disease.