Earth and Life Science

Theory of Special Creation

The belief that a creator is responsible for the origin of life, widely accepted in major religions.

Theory of Spontaneous Generation

The idea that living things can suddenly arise from non-living matter.

Abiogenesis

The theory that living things can spontaneously generate from non-living or decaying matter.

Biogenesis

The theory that living organisms arise only from pre-existing living organisms.

Miller-Urey Experiment

An experiment that demonstrated how lightning could create the building blocks of life from simpler chemicals in the early atmosphere.

Deep-Sea Vents

Locations on the ocean floor that may have been key in the origin of life, providing essential hydrogen-rich molecules.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of constant internal conditions in an organism.

Metabolism

The chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life.

Stimuli

Physical factors such as light, temperature, and touch that organisms respond to.

Reproduction

The biological process by which new individual organisms are produced.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of living organisms.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A molecule that helps in the synthesis of proteins and in carrying genetic information.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem that interact with one another.

Asexual Reproduction

Reproduction that does not involve the union of gametes and results in offspring genetically identical to the parent.

Sexual Reproduction

Reproduction involving the fusion of gametes, resulting in offspring with genetic material from both parents.

Binary Fission

A method of asexual reproduction where a parent cell divides into two identical daughter cells.

Fragmentation

A type of asexual reproduction where an organism breaks into fragments, and each fragment grows into a new organism.

Budding

A form of asexual reproduction wherein an offspring develops from an outgrowth or bud on the parent organism.

Vegetative Propagation

A type of asexual reproduction in plants involving their vegetative parts such as roots, stems, and leaves.

Spore Formation

A method of reproduction in organisms where spores are produced to facilitate reproduction when conditions are favorable.

Genetic Engineering

The process of altering the genetic makeup of an organism by artificial means.

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

Evolution

The change in living organisms over generations, explaining the unity and diversity of life.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustain.

Biotic Potential

The potential growth of a population under ideal environmental conditions.

Nutrient Cycling

The process through which nutrients are recycled and reused within an ecosystem.

Trophic Levels

Different levels of a food chain, including primary producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers.

Food Web

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Biogeochemistry

The study of the interactions between biological, geological, and chemical processes.

Adaptation

An inherited trait that enhances an organism's chances of survival and reproduction.

Stimuli Response

The response of organisms to changes in their environment.

Ecological Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Primary Producers

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead organic material and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Predation

An interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, the prey.

Energy Flow

The transfer of energy through a food chain from primary producers to top consumers.

Carbon Cycle

The cycle through which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, land, water, and organisms.

Nitrogen Cycle

The process through which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms in the environment.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Respiration

The process of converting glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Water Cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Chemical Energy

The energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds, used by living organisms.

Environmental Pollution

The introduction of harmful substances into the environment, causing adverse effects.

Biodiversity

The variety and variability of life forms within a given ecosystem, region, or on the entire planet.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that spread widely in a new habitat and can cause harm to native ecosystems.

Biomagnification

The increase in concentration of substances in the tissues of organisms at each successive level of the food chain.

Natural Selection

The process through which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living.