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Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area at the same time.

Community

All the populations of different species living and interacting in the same area.

Ecosystem

A system of interacting organisms (biotic factors) and their physical environment (abiotic factors).

Biotic Factors

All living components in an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living components in an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, soil, and water.

Producer

An organism (usually a plant or algae) that produces its own food using sunlight or chemical energy.

Consumer

An organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead matter, recycling nutrients into the ecosystem.

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis (e.g., plants, algae).

Heterotroph

An organism that relies on consuming other organisms for energy.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Predator

An organism that hunts and eats other organisms.

Prey

An organism that is hunted and eaten by a predator.

Energy Pyramid

A graphical representation showing energy flow through trophic levels in an ecosystem.

10% Rule

Only 10% of energy is transferred to the next trophic level; the rest is lost as heat or used for metabolism.

Primary Consumers

Herbivores that feed on producers.

Secondary Consumers

Carnivores or omnivores that feed on primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumers

Top-level carnivores that feed on secondary consumers.

Photosynthesis

A process in which plants and other autotrophs use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose and oxygen.

Respiration

A process in which organisms break down glucose to produce energy, releasing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.

Fossil Fuels

Carbon-rich energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) formed from decomposed organisms over millions of years.

Combustion

The burning of substances (like fossil fuels) that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Evaporation

The process where liquid water turns into water vapor due to heat.

Condensation

The process where water vapor cools and turns into liquid droplets, forming clouds.

Precipitation

Water falling from the atmosphere to Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Transpiration

The release of water vapor from plant leaves into the atmosphere.

Runoff

Water that flows over the surface of the land, returning to rivers, lakes, or oceans.

Greenhouse Effect

The natural process where greenhouse gases trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, keeping the planet warm enough for life.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and water vapor (H₂O).

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

A greenhouse gas released through respiration, fossil fuel combustion, and deforestation.

Methane (CH₄)

A powerful greenhouse gas emitted from livestock digestion, landfills, and wetlands.

Water Vapor (H₂O)

The most abundant greenhouse gas, naturally cycling through evaporation and condensation.

Deforestation

The removal of forests, reducing the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide and releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.