Ch. 4 Key Terms

Question 1

ecosystem

Answer 1

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Question 2

biotic factor

Answer 2

Biotic components, or biotic factors, can be described as any living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem.

Question 3

abiotic factor

Answer 3

In biology and ecology, abiotic components or abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

Question 4

organism

Answer 4

an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.

Question 5

species

Answer 5

a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.

Question 6

population

Answer 6

all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.

Question 7

community

Answer 7

a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Question 8

habitat

Answer 8

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Question 9

natural selection

Answer 9

the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Question 10

evolution

Answer 10

the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

Question 11

adaptation

Answer 11

the action or process of adapting or being adapted.

Question 12

artificial selection

Answer 12

Artificial selection is the identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals, and the steps taken to enhance and perpetuate those traits in future generations.

Question 13

resistance

Answer 13

the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.

Question 14

archaea

Answer 14

Archaea constitute a domain of single-celled organisms.

Question 15

bacteria

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

fungus

Answer 16

any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.

Question 17

protist

Answer 17

a single-celled organism of the kingdom Protista, such as a protozoan or simple alga.

Question 18

gymnosperm

Answer 18

a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit.

Question 19

angiosperm

Answer 19

a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel.

Question 20

invertebrate

Answer 20

an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc.

Question 21

vertebrate

Answer 21

an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.