Ch. 4 Key Terms Flashcards
ecosystem
all of the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment.
biotic factor
All of the organisms, including animals, fungi, bacteria, and plants.
abiotic factor
the non-living parts of the ecosystem, including air, water, rocks, sand, light, and temperature.
organism
an individual living thing
species
a group of organisms that can mate to produce fertile offspring
population
a groupof the same species that live in the same place.
community
a group of variousspecies that live in the same place and interact with eachother. A community differs from an ecosystem because acommunity includes only the biotic components.
habitat
The place an organism lives
natural selection
the process by which individuals that arebetter adapted to their environment survive and reproduce with more success than less well adapted individuals do
evolution
A change in the genetic characteristics of a population from one generation to the next
adaptation
an inherited trait that increases an organism’s chanceof survival and reproduction in a certain environment
artificial selection
The selective breedingof organisms by humans for specific characteristics
resistance
the ability of one or more organisms to tolerate a par-ticular chemical designed to kill it.
archaea
often foundin extreme places, such as hot springs. They differ from bacteria in theirgenetics and the makeup of their cell wall
bacteria
very common and can be found in many places, including soil and animal bodies.
