Science Vocab: Unit 4

living or once living part of an organism’s habitat 

largest population that a particular environment can support 

struggle between organisms to survive in the same area 

environmental factor that causes a population to decrease in size or stop growing

study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment 

overlapping food chains of organisms within an ecosystem 

provides resources a specific organism needs to live, grow, and reproduce 

group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms 

all different types of populations that live together in an area 

physical or behavioral characteristic that help an organism to survive 

role an organism plays in its habitat; how it interacts 

movement of individuals INTO a population’s area 

relationship where one species benefits by living on, in, or with another species and harms it 

relationship between two organisms where one organism kills the other for food 

symbiotic relationship where both species benefit 

symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other species is not affected 

movement of individuals OUT of a population’s area 

organism  that feeds on bodies of dead organisms 

organism that breaks down biotic waste and dead organism and changes it back to soil and water 

group of same organism that can successfully mate 

a living thing 

process plants use to make food;  (light energy + CO2 + water = glucose) 

group of one species living in a particular area 

organism that eats (consumes) other organisms  

nonliving part of an organism’s habitat 

community of organisms living in same area, along with nonliving things in the environment 

green pigment found in plant cells to help produce food 

organism that can make its own food 

shows how organisms are connected and  energy is transferred in an ecosystem 

relationship between two species where at least one benefits