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Flashcards in chap 4 Deck (21)
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1
Q

ecosystem

A

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

2
Q

biotic factors

A

a living organism that shapes its environment

3
Q

abiotic factors

A

a non-living organism that shapes its environment

4
Q

organism

A

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

5
Q

species

A

a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding

6
Q

population

A

a community of animals, plants, or humans among whose members interbreeding occurs.

7
Q

community

A

a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common

8
Q

habitat

A

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

9
Q

natural selection

A

the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

10
Q

evolution

A

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

11
Q

adaptation

A

the action or process of adapting or being adapted.

12
Q

artificial selection

A

the process by which humans choose individual organisms with certain phenotypic trait values for breeding.

13
Q

resistance

A

lack of sensitivity to a drug, insecticide, etc., especially as a result of continued exposure or genetic change.

14
Q

archaea

A

microorganisms that are similar to bacteria in size and simplicity of structure but radically different in molecular organization.

15
Q

bacteria

A

a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some which can cause disease.

16
Q

fungus

A

any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.

17
Q

protist

A

a single-celled organism of the kingdom Protista, such as a protozoan or simple alga.

18
Q

gymnosperm

A

oun: gymnosperm; plural noun: gymnosperms

a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.

19
Q

angiosperm

A

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

20
Q

invertebrate

A

an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc.

21
Q

vertebrate

A

an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.