Bio Terms Flash Cards

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their environment interacting as a system.

Biome

A large ecological area on the earth's surface, with flora and fauna adapting to their environment.

Population

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

Community

All the different populations that live together in a defined area.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an organism.

Abiotic factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.

Biotic factors

Living components that affect the ecosystem, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread beyond their original habitat and cause harm to the environment.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Food web

A system of interdependent food chains in an ecological community.

Trophic levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Producer

Organisms (like plants) that produce their own food through photosynthesis.

Consumer

Organisms that eat other organisms for energy.

Decomposer

Organisms that break down dead or decaying matter.

Organism

Any individual living entity.

Autotroph

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances.

Heterotroph

Organisms that obtain food by consuming other living things.

Predation

The preying of one animal on others.

Symbiosis

Interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals that an environment can support without degradation.

Density-dependent factors

Factors that affect population growth in relation to the population density.

Density-independent factors

Factors that affect population sizes regardless of population density.

Prokaryotic cell

A simple cell without a nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic cell

A complex cell with a nucleus and organelles bound by membranes.

Organelle

Specialized structures within a cell that perform distinct processes.

Nucleus

The organelle that contains the cell's genetic material.

Mitochondria

The powerhouse of the cell, where energy production occurs.

Chloroplast

Organelles found in plant cells that conduct photosynthesis.

Endoplasmic reticulum

An organelle involved in protein and lipid synthesis.

Golgi apparatus

An organelle that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins for secretion.

Ribosome

The site of protein synthesis in cells.

Cell membrane

The semipermeable barrier surrounding the cytoplasm of a cell.

Passive transport

Movement of substances across a cell membrane without the need for energy.

Active transport

The movement of substances across a cell membrane using energy.

Diffusion

The passive movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Osmosis

The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane.

Facilitated diffusion

The process of spontaneous passive transport of molecules across a cell membrane via specific transmembrane proteins.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods.

Metabolism

The chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life.

Homeostasis

The ability of an organism to maintain stable internal conditions despite external changes.

Carbon cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.

Nitrogen cycle

The series of processes in which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms.

Water cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Phosphorus cycle

The process by which phosphorus moves through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, playing a crucial role in the growth of plants and the functioning of ecosystems.