Ecology

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.

Biotic

Living things like plants, animals, and bacteria.

Abiotic

Non-living things like water, air, and temperature.

Ecosystem

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

Cellular Organization

The way living things are structured and organized at the cellular level.

Individual/Organism

A single living thing, like one plant or one animal.

Population

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

Community

All the populations of different species that live and interact in the same area.

Biome

A large area of Earth with similar climate, plants, and animals.

Biosphere

The part of Earth where living things can exist, including land, water, and air.

Habitat

The specific place where a plant or animal lives within an ecosystem.

Niche

The role or job that an organism has in its habitat, like what it eats and where it lives.

Predation

When one organism hunts and eats another.

Competition

When two or more organisms need the same resource, like food or space.

Cooperation

When organisms work together for a common benefit.

Symbiosis

A close relationship between two different species.

Commensalism

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Mutualism

A type of symbiosis where both organisms benefit from the relationship.

Parasitism

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

Population Dynamics

How the size and makeup of a population change over time.

Immigration

When individuals move into a population.

Emigration

When individuals move out of a population.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals an environment can support without causing harm.

Limiting Factor

Something in the environment that limits the growth of a population, like food or space.