Unit 3 Nat.Sci. Vocabulary

1. Living: Refers to organisms that have the ability to grow, reproduce, and respond to the environment.

2. Non-living: Describes objects or things that do not have the characteristics of living organisms.

3. Organism: A living thing that is made up of one or more cells and can carry out life processes.

4. Habitat: The natural environment where a living thing, such as a plant or animal, lives and obtains its food, water, and shelter.

5. Environment: The surroundings or conditions in which a living thing exists, including both living and non-living things.

6. Adaptation: A special characteristic or feature that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.

7. Species: A group of similar organisms that can reproduce and produce fertile offspring.

8. Ecosystem: A community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with their physical environment.

9. Food chain: The transfer of energy and nutrients from one organism to another in a sequence within an ecosystem.

10. Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water.

11. Respiration: The process by which living organisms exchange gases with their environment, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.

12. Reproduction: The biological process by which new individuals of the same kind are produced, either sexually or asexually.

13. Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms, containing genetic material and specialized organelles.

14. Biotic: Refers to living things or factors that are associated with or caused by living organisms.

15. Abiotic: Describes non-living things or physical factors that are not associated with living organisms.