Environmental Systems

Question 1

abiotic factor

Answer 1

nonliving parts of an organism’s environment: air, temperature, moisture, light and soil are examples

Question 2

adaptation

Answer 2

a trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

Question 3

air pollution

Answer 3

the release of damaging materials into the atmosphere

Question 4

atmosphere

Answer 4

the layer of air that surrounds the earth

Question 5

bioaccumulation

Answer 5

The buildup of large concentrations of poisons in the body

Question 6

biodegradable

Answer 6

able to be broken down naturally

Question 7

biodiversity

Answer 7

the number of different species in a given area

Question 8

biofuel

Answer 8

fuel from organic sources

Question 9

biomagnification

Answer 9

the increased concentration of pollutants at each step up a food chain.

Question 10

biomass

Answer 10

the total amount of living tissue in a trophic level

Question 11

biome

Answer 11

a grouping of ecosystems with similar abiotic and biotic conditions

Question 12

biosphere

Answer 12

the Earth and all of its organisms and environments

Question 13

biotic factor

Answer 13

any part of an ecosystem that is living or used to be living

Question 14

canopy

Answer 14

Dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees.

Question 15

captive breeding

Answer 15

the process of breeding and raising organisms under controlled conditions

Question 16

carcinogen

Answer 16

a chemical that causes cancer

Question 17

carnivore

Answer 17

an animal that kills and eats other animals

Question 18

carrying capacity

Answer 18

the largest population a given environment can support

Question 19

climate

Answer 19

the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

Question 20

coevolution

Answer 20

the process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other