organisms and their environment- key terms

Question 1

Define food chain

Answer 1

a chart showing the flow of energy (food) from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer.

Question 2

Define producer

Answer 2

an organism that makes its organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight through photosynthesis

Question 3

Define consumer

Answer 3

an organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms.

Question 4

Define Herbivore

Answer 4

an animal that gets its energy by eating plants

Question 5

Define Carnivore

Answer 5

an animal that gets its energy by eating other animals

Question 6

Define decomposer

Answer 6

an organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic matter (i.e. a saprotroph)

Question 7

Define population

Answer 7

a group of organisms of one species living in the same area at the same time.

Question 8

Define community

Answer 8

all of the populations of different species in an ecosystem.

Question 9

Define Ecosystem

Answer 9

a unit containing the community of organisms and their environment interacting together.