Lesson 1 - Definitions

Question 1

Organism

Answer 1

Individual animal or life form, can be multicellular or even single-felled

Question 2

Species

Answer 2

A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.

Question 3

Population

Answer 3

A community of organisms of the same species in an area that can interbreed. (All of the populations interact and form a community.)

Question 4

Community

Answer 4

All the organisms that live in a particular area and interact with each other (same or different species).

Question 5

Habitat

Answer 5

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Within each ecosystem, there are habitats which may also vary in size. Some organisms have very particular habitats (e.g. polar bears), while others can have many habitats (e.g. flies).

The habitat of a species could also be defined as the place where the environmental factors remain within the limits of tolerance for that species. If an environmental factor went beyond the limits of tolerance the species would either die or move out.

Question 6

Ecosystem

Answer 6

All the organisms in a given area as well as the non-living factors (abiotic) they interact with. Usually consists of one or more communities and the environment around them.

Ecosystems vary in size; they can be as small as a puddle or as large as the Earth. Any group of living/non-living things interacting with each other can be considered an ecosystem.

Question 7

Environment

Answer 7

The surroundings in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. These surroundings can be living (interaction with other organisms) or non-living (environmental conditions).

Organisms are affected by their environment, but they also change the environment by their presence (interaction) e.g. invasive lionfish threatening snapper, grouper, and sea bass populations.

Environment ↔ Organism