chapter 4 key terms Flashcards
ecosystem
A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment
Biotic Factor
Any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
Abiotic Factor
Abiotic factors are the non-living parts of an organism’s habitat.
organism
A living thing
Species
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
population
A group of organisms of the same species populating a given area.
community
A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
habitat
Place where an organism lives
natural selection
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
evolution
A change in a species over time
adaptation
A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce
artificial selection
Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits.
resistance
the ability of one or more organisms to tolerate a particular chemical designed to kill it
archaebacteria
often found in extreme places
Eubacteria
very common and can be found in soil and animal bodies
