08 Life Processes of Organisms

Explain: Organism

An individual living thing, including a plant or an animal.

Explain: Species

A group of similar organisms of the same kind.

Explain: Offspring

New organisms produced by parent organisms.

Explain: Survival

Continuing to live by meeting needs in an environment.

Explain: Adaptation

An inherited structure or behavior that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

Explain: Structure

A body part of an organism that performs a particular job.

Explain: Function

The job performed by a structure or behavior.

Explain: Main root functions

Taking in water and nutrients, anchoring a plant, and sometimes storing food.

Explain: Taproot

A main root that extends downward and can reach deeper water while anchoring the plant.

Explain: Shallow roots

Roots near the surface that can quickly absorb rainfall, useful for many dry-environment plants.

Explain: Aerial roots

Roots growing above the ground that can help support a plant or attach it to another structure.

Explain: Main stem functions

Supporting leaves and branches and transporting water, nutrients, and food.

Explain: Thorns and prickles

Sharp plant structures that can discourage animals from eating the plant.

Explain: Tendrils

Slender curling structures that wrap around supports to help a climbing plant reach sunlight.

Explain: Succulent stems

Thick plant stems adapted to store water.

Explain: Main leaf function

Capturing light and making food through photosynthesis.

Explain: Needle-shaped leaves

Narrow leaves often protected by a waxy coating that helps reduce water loss.

Explain: Broad leaves

Wide leaves that provide a large surface for capturing sunlight.

Explain: Showy leaves

Bright or noticeable leaves that can attract pollinators, as in poinsettias.

Explain: Insect-trapping leaves

Specialized leaves, such as those of a Venus flytrap, that capture insects for nutrients.

Explain: Cactus spines

Modified leaves that help protect a cactus from being eaten.

Explain: Flower function

Supporting reproduction by producing structures involved in forming seeds.

Explain: Pollen

Material from a flower's male reproductive parts that can be transferred during pollination.

Explain: Pollination

The transfer of pollen to a flower's receptive reproductive part, often by wind or animals.

Explain: Nectar

A sweet liquid that can attract animals to flowers.

Explain: Pollinator-attracting features

Bright petals, scents, nectar, patterns, or shapes that encourage visits to flowers.

Explain: Seed dispersal

The movement of seeds away from the parent plant.

Explain: Hitchhiking seed structures

Hooks or prickles that attach seeds or fruits to animal fur.

Explain: Fruit-eating seed dispersal

Seeds moving when animals eat fruit and later release surviving seeds in their waste.

Explain: Wind-carried seeds

Light seeds or fruits with winglike or parachute-like structures that help them travel through air.

Explain: Water-carried seeds

Seeds or fruits able to float and travel by water, such as coconuts.

Explain: Parrot nut-cracking beak

A strong hooked beak used to break apart nut shells.

Explain: Heron fish-spearing beak

A long, narrow, pointed beak useful for catching fish.

Explain: Sparrow seed-crushing beak

A short, strong, triangular beak useful for cracking seeds.

Explain: Pelican scooping beak

A long beak with a pouch useful for catching fish from water.

Explain: Hawk tearing beak

A strong, sharp, curved beak useful for tearing meat.

Explain: Woodpecker probing beak

A sturdy beak useful for drilling into wood to reach insects.

Explain: Grasping bird feet

Strong feet with sharp talons used by birds of prey to catch and hold animals.

Explain: Climbing bird feet

Feet often having two toes forward and two backward to grip and climb tree surfaces.

Explain: Scratching bird feet

Strong feet and nails used to scratch soil while searching for food.

Explain: Wading bird feet

Long legs and spread-out toes useful for walking in shallow water and on soft ground.

Explain: Swimming bird feet

Webbed toes that push against water to help a bird swim.

Explain: Perching bird feet

Flexible toes arranged to grip and hold branches.

Explain: Animal movement structures

Paws protecting feet, hooves supporting land movement, and fins or flippers helping movement in water.

Explain: Predator and prey eye positions

Forward-facing eyes often helping judge distance, while side-facing eyes often give a wider view of surroundings.

Explain: Teeth and diet

Sharp teeth helping tear meat, flat teeth helping grind plants, and mixed teeth supporting a mixed diet.

Explain: Camouflage

Coloration or patterns helping an organism blend into its surroundings.

Explain: Mimicry

An organism resembling another organism or object, which can help it avoid predators.

Explain: Instinctual behavior

A behavior performed without being taught, such as many migration patterns or hatchling turtles moving toward the sea.

Explain: Learned behavior

A behavior developed through experience, observation, or teaching, such as a child learning to ride a bicycle.

Identify the concept or example: An individual living thing, including a plant or an animal.

Organism

Identify the concept or example: A group of similar organisms of the same kind.

Species

Identify the concept or example: New organisms produced by parent organisms.

Offspring

Identify the concept or example: Continuing to live by meeting needs in an environment.

Survival

Identify the concept or example: An inherited structure or behavior that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

Adaptation

Identify the concept or example: A body part of an organism that performs a particular job.

Structure

Identify the concept or example: The job performed by a structure or behavior.

Function

Identify the concept or example: Taking in water and nutrients, anchoring a plant, and sometimes storing food.

Main root functions

Identify the concept or example: A main root that extends downward and can reach deeper water while anchoring the plant.

Taproot

Identify the concept or example: Roots near the surface that can quickly absorb rainfall, useful for many dry-environment plants.

Shallow roots

Identify the concept or example: Roots growing above the ground that can help support a plant or attach it to another structure.

Aerial roots

Identify the concept or example: Supporting leaves and branches and transporting water, nutrients, and food.

Main stem functions

Identify the concept or example: Sharp plant structures that can discourage animals from eating the plant.

Thorns and prickles

Identify the concept or example: Slender curling structures that wrap around supports to help a climbing plant reach sunlight.

Tendrils

Identify the concept or example: Thick plant stems adapted to store water.

Succulent stems

Identify the concept or example: Capturing light and making food through photosynthesis.

Main leaf function

Identify the concept or example: Narrow leaves often protected by a waxy coating that helps reduce water loss.

Needle-shaped leaves

Identify the concept or example: Wide leaves that provide a large surface for capturing sunlight.

Broad leaves

Identify the concept or example: Bright or noticeable leaves that can attract pollinators, as in poinsettias.

Showy leaves

Identify the concept or example: Specialized leaves, such as those of a Venus flytrap, that capture insects for nutrients.

Insect-trapping leaves

Identify the concept or example: Modified leaves that help protect a cactus from being eaten.

Cactus spines

Identify the concept or example: Supporting reproduction by producing structures involved in forming seeds.

Flower function

Identify the concept or example: Material from a flower's male reproductive parts that can be transferred during pollination.

Pollen

Identify the concept or example: The transfer of pollen to a flower's receptive reproductive part, often by wind or animals.

Pollination

Identify the concept or example: A sweet liquid that can attract animals to flowers.

Nectar

Identify the concept or example: Bright petals, scents, nectar, patterns, or shapes that encourage visits to flowers.

Pollinator-attracting features

Identify the concept or example: The movement of seeds away from the parent plant.

Seed dispersal

Identify the concept or example: Hooks or prickles that attach seeds or fruits to animal fur.

Hitchhiking seed structures

Identify the concept or example: Seeds moving when animals eat fruit and later release surviving seeds in their waste.

Fruit-eating seed dispersal

Identify the concept or example: Light seeds or fruits with winglike or parachute-like structures that help them travel through air.

Wind-carried seeds

Identify the concept or example: Seeds or fruits able to float and travel by water, such as coconuts.

Water-carried seeds

Identify the concept or example: A strong hooked beak used to break apart nut shells.

Parrot nut-cracking beak

Identify the concept or example: A long, narrow, pointed beak useful for catching fish.

Heron fish-spearing beak

Identify the concept or example: A short, strong, triangular beak useful for cracking seeds.

Sparrow seed-crushing beak

Identify the concept or example: A long beak with a pouch useful for catching fish from water.

Pelican scooping beak

Identify the concept or example: A strong, sharp, curved beak useful for tearing meat.

Hawk tearing beak

Identify the concept or example: A sturdy beak useful for drilling into wood to reach insects.

Woodpecker probing beak

Identify the concept or example: Strong feet with sharp talons used by birds of prey to catch and hold animals.

Grasping bird feet

Identify the concept or example: Feet often having two toes forward and two backward to grip and climb tree surfaces.

Climbing bird feet

Identify the concept or example: Strong feet and nails used to scratch soil while searching for food.

Scratching bird feet

Identify the concept or example: Long legs and spread-out toes useful for walking in shallow water and on soft ground.

Wading bird feet

Identify the concept or example: Webbed toes that push against water to help a bird swim.

Swimming bird feet

Identify the concept or example: Flexible toes arranged to grip and hold branches.

Perching bird feet

Identify the concept or example: Paws protecting feet, hooves supporting land movement, and fins or flippers helping movement in water.

Animal movement structures

Identify the concept or example: Forward-facing eyes often helping judge distance, while side-facing eyes often give a wider view of surroundings.

Predator and prey eye positions

Identify the concept or example: Sharp teeth helping tear meat, flat teeth helping grind plants, and mixed teeth supporting a mixed diet.

Teeth and diet

Identify the concept or example: Coloration or patterns helping an organism blend into its surroundings.

Camouflage

Identify the concept or example: An organism resembling another organism or object, which can help it avoid predators.

Mimicry

Identify the concept or example: A behavior performed without being taught, such as many migration patterns or hatchling turtles moving toward the sea.

Instinctual behavior

Identify the concept or example: A behavior developed through experience, observation, or teaching, such as a child learning to ride a bicycle.

Learned behavior