chapter 4

Question 1

ecosystem

Answer 1

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.\

Question 2

biotic factor

Answer 2

as any living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem.

Question 3

abiotic factor

Answer 3

a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment. In a terrestrial ecosystem,

Question 4

organism

Answer 4

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

Question 5

species

Answer 5

a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity.

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

adaption

Answer 11

the action or process of adapting or being adapted.

Question 12

artifical selection

Answer 12

is the identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals,

Question 13

resistance

Answer 13

an act or instance of resisting

Question 14

archaea

Answer 14

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. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.

Question 19

angiosperm

Answer 19

a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.

Question 20

invertebrate

Answer 20

an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc. The invertebrates constitute an artificial division of the animal kingdom, comprising 95 percent of animal species and about 30 different phyla.

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.