Species & Environment Key terms CIE Checkpoint

Species

A group of living things that can reproduce together to produce fertile offspring.

Ecosystem

A community of living things and their environment working together.

Environment

Everything around a living thing, including air, water, and land.

Biodiversity

The variety of different living things in an area.

Variation

Differences between individuals in a species.

Natural selection

The process where living things best suited to their environment survive and reproduce.

Scientific theory

An explanation based on evidence that helps us understand how something works.

Extinction

When a species no longer exists anywhere on Earth.

Ice ages

Long periods when Earth's temperature was much colder and large areas were covered in ice.

Global warming

The increase in Earth's average temperature due to human activities.

Sea level

The height of the ocean's surface, used as a measure for land elevation.

Drought

A long period with very little or no rainfall.

Flooding

When water covers land that is usually dry.

Prediction

A guess based on evidence about what might happen in the future.

Climate

The average weather conditions in a place over a long time.

Weather

The day-to-day conditions like rain, sun, wind, and temperature.

Extreme weather

Unusual and severe weather events like hurricanes or heatwaves.

Consequences

The results or effects of an action or event.

Asteroid

A small rocky object that orbits the Sun, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter.

Collision

When two objects crash into each other.

Mass extinctions

Times in Earth's history when many species died out at once.

Climate Change

Long-term changes in Earth's climate, including temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns.