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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.

Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)

A greenhouse gas produced by agricultural activities and industrial processes.

Water Vapor (H₂O)

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

Fluorinated Gases

Synthetic greenhouse gases (e.g., CFCs) used in refrigeration and industrial processes, with a high warming potential.

Deforestation

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

Primary Succession

The process of ecological succession that occurs in areas where no soil exists, such as after a volcanic eruption or glacier retreat.

Secondary Succession

The process of ecological succession that occurs in areas where soil remains, such as after a forest fire or farming.

Pioneer Species

The first species to colonize barren or disrupted ecosystems, helping to create soil for other plants to grow (e.g., lichens, mosses).

Climax Community

A stable, mature ecosystem that has reached the final stage of ecological succession.

Homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in the external environment.

Positive Feedback

A feedback mechanism that amplifies or increases the change or output in a system (e.g., childbirth contractions).

Negative Feedback

A feedback mechanism that counteracts or reduces the change or output to maintain stability (e.g., body temperature regulation).

Thermoregulation

The process of maintaining a stable internal body temperature under different external conditions.

Stimulus

An external or internal signal that triggers a response in an organism.

Signal

The message sent by the body to respond to a stimulus, often involving hormones or nerve impulses.

Response

The action or change in behavior resulting from a stimulus.

Nervous System

A body system that sends and receives signals using nerve cells to control body functions.

Circulatory System

The body system that circulates blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and removing waste products.

Respiratory System

The body system responsible for gas exchange, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.

Digestive System

The body system that breaks down food into nutrients that can be absorbed and used by the body.

Urinary System

The body system that removes waste products from the blood and regulates water balance.

Capillaries

Small blood vessels where the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste occurs between the blood and body tissues.

Ocular Lens

The eyepiece lens on a microscope, typically magnifying 10x.

Objective Lenses

The lenses near the slide on a microscope, with varying magnifications (e.g., 4x, 10x, 40x).

Coarse Adjustment Knob

The large knob on a microscope used for general focusing on low power.

Fine Adjustment Knob

The small knob on a microscope used for precise focusing, especially on high power.

Slide

A flat glass or plastic surface where specimens are placed for microscope observation.

Coverslip

A thin piece of glass or plastic placed over the specimen on a slide to protect it and improve clarity.

Prokaryote

A simple cell without a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles (e.g., bacteria).

Eukaryote

A complex cell with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (e.g., plant and animal cells).

Nucleus

The organelle that stores genetic material (DNA) and controls the cell's activities.

Mitochondria

The organelle responsible for energy production (ATP) through cellular respiration.

Ribosome

The organelle that synthesizes proteins needed for cell functions.

Cell Membrane

The outer barrier of the cell that regulates what enters and exits.

Cell Wall

A rigid structure outside the cell membrane found in plant cells, providing support and protection.

Central Vacuole

A large storage organelle in plant cells that holds water, nutrients, and waste.

Chloroplast

An organelle found in plant cells that converts sunlight into energy through photosynthesis.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about the outcome of an experiment.

Independent Variable

The factor that is purposely changed in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured in response to changes in the independent variable.

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the independent variable in an experiment.

Control Group

The group not exposed to the independent variable, used as a baseline for comparison.

Constant

Factors that remain the same for all groups in an experiment to ensure a fair test.