Chapter 4 Flashcards
(21 cards)
ECOSYSTEM
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
BIOTIC FACTOR
be described as any living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem.
ABIOTIC FACTOR
are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment
ORGANSIM
an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
SPECIES
a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
POPULATION
a particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area or country.
COMMUNITY
a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
HABITAT
the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
NATURAL SELECTION
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
EVOLUTION
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.
ADAPTION
a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
ARTIFICIAL SELECTION
is the identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals, and the steps taken to enhance and perpetuate those traits in future generations.
RESISTANCE
lack of sensitivity to a drug, insecticide, etc., especially as a result of continued exposure or genetic change.
ARCHAEA
bacteria basically
BACTERIA
a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some that can cause disease.
FUNGUS
any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.
PROTIST
a single-celled organism of the kingdom Protista, such as a protozoan or simple alga.
GYMNOSPERM
a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.
ANGIOSPERM
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.
INVERTEBRATE
an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc.
VERTEBRATE
an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
