Unit 3: Living Things and Their Environments Vocabulary

Unit 3 Test is on 11/20

Habitat

The place where an organism lives

Environment

All living and nonliving things that surround an organism

Ecosystem

A community of living and nonliving things that interact with each other

Population

A group of the same kind of organism living in the same area

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

Producer

A living thing that makes its own food

Consumer

A living thing that eats other living things for energy

Decomposer

A living thing that breaks down dead plants and animals

Food Chain

A model that shows how energy passes from one organism to another

Food Web

A group of food chains that overlap

Adaptation

A trait that helps a living thing survive in its environment

Behavior

The way an organism acts in response to its environment

Structure

A part of an organism’s body that helps it survive

Predator

An animal that hunts and eats other animals.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and eaten by predators

Symbiosis

A relationship between two different living things that live closely together

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is not harmed

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed

Niche

The role or job an organism has in an ecosystem

Limiting Factor

Anything that restricts the size of a population

Energy Source

Where energy comes from (usually the Sun in most ecosystems)

Camouflage

A physical adaptation that helps an animal blend in with its environment

Hibernation

A deep sleep that helps animals survive winter

Migration

A seasonal movement of animals from one place to another