Biology

General Words

Community

Multiple different biotic species living and interacting together in one place.

Ecosystem

A community of biotic organisms interacting with each other and the abiotic components

Biotic factor

Any organism like plant, animal, fungus, or bacterium.

OR How an organism interacts with any living part of its environment

Abiotic factor

Non-living part of the environment like sunlight, temperature, precipitation, humidity, etc.—- shapes where life can exist. Abiotic factors may vary in terms of latitude.

Atmosphere

An earth’s system— all the gases that surround Earth

Biosphere

An earth’s system made up of several biomes— all living organisms

Geosphere

An earth’s system— the interior and surface of Earth like rocks, continents, and ocean floor

Hydrosphere

An earth’s system— all salt and fresh water like precipitation, underground water, and ice

Biome

Regions shaped by abiotic factors (sunlight, temp, rainfall) that determine what kinds of organisms live in that environment. Ex. rainforests, desserts

Species richness

the number of different species in an area. Ex, a coral reef in Northern Australia may have 500 different species of fish; consequently, it has high species richness of 500

Species (singular and plural)

A group of all similar organisms across the world that can produce offspring. Ex: All grizzly bears on Earth

Population

A group of one specific species that can mate in a shared local area. Ex: only the grizzly bears living in Yellowstone National Park

Cellular

relating to or consisting of living cells

Cell

the smallest basic unit of life that can live on its own

Can an organism be part-cell?

No, an organism is either multicellular or unicellular

Homeostasis

A process where biological systems maintain a stable internal environment (body temperature or fluid balance) despite changes in the outside world

Which one is the correct biological system/ level

Cell/Tissue/Organ/Organ System/ Organism/ Population/Community/Ecosystem/Biome/Biosphere