IB Biology - Ecology

Ecology

The study of interactions between living organisms and their environment.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Habitat

The natural home or environment where an organism lives.

Autotroph

An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Heterotroph

An organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms.

Trophic Level

The position an organism occupies in a food chain.

Producer

An organism that can make its own food, usually through photosynthesis (e.g., plants).

Herbivore

A consumer that eats plants for energy.

Carnivore

A consumer that eats other animals for energy.

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Consumer

An organism that feeds on other organisms for energy (e.g., animals).

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organic matter into simpler compounds (e.g., fungi, bacteria).

Food Chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Food Web

A complex network of interconnected food chains within an ecosystem.

Biomass

The total mass of organisms in a given area or volume.

Biodiversity

The variety of different species within an ecosystem or habitat.

Niche

The role or function of an organism in its ecosystem, including its habitat and interactions with other species.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Parasitism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.