ch.4 Flashcards
ecosystem
a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life.
biotic factor
any living thing that has an effect on an ecosystem.
abiotic factor
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
organism
an individual form of life that is capable of growing and reproducing, and have one or more cells.
species
a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring. .
populations
a group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a given area.
community
an interacting group of various species in a common location.
habitat
a place where an organism makes its home
natural selection
the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change.
evolution
the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection
adaptation
the biological mechanism by which organisms adjust to new environments or to changes in their current environment.
artificial selection
Selective breeding of organisms to produce domesticated animals with more desirable traits;
resistance
The natural or genetic ability of an organism to avoid or repel attack by biotic agents
archaea
a group of primitive prokaryotes that based on their distinct characteristics form a separate domain from bacteria and eukaryotes.
bacteria
single-celled, or simple, organisms.
