chapter 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
a living organism that shapes its environment
abiotic factor
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
organism
to a living thing that has an organized structure, can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, adapt, and maintain homeostasis.
species
a set of organisms that is adapted to a particular set of resources (niche) in the environment,
population
a group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a given area.
community
a group of actually or potentially interacting species living in the same location.
habitat
an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism
natural selection
the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change
evolution
a process of orderly and gradual change or development
adaptation
the process by which a species becomes fitted to its environment
artificial selection
the identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals
resistance
the sum of the environmental factors
archaea
any of a group of single-celled prokaryotic organisms
bacteria
Some bacteria thrive in extreme heat or cold, while others can survive under highly acidic or extremely salty conditions.
fungus
any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds
protist
any of a diverse taxonomic group and especially a kingdom
gymnosperm
any vascular plant that reproduces by means of an exposed seed, or ovule
angiosperm
plants that produce flowers and bear their seeds in fruits
invertebrate
any animal lacking a backbone or notochord
vertebrate
an animal that has a backbone or spinal column
