| A | B |
|---|
| abiotic factor | an environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms; the nonliving parts of an ecosystem like air, water, temperature, light, etc. |
| adaptation | an anatomical, physiological, or behavioral change that improves a population's ability to survive |
| angiosperm | a flowering plant that produces seeds within a fruit |
| artificial selection | the selective breeding of organisms (by humans) for specific desirable characteristics |
| bacteria | extremely small, single-celled organisms that usually have a cell wall and reproduce by cell division |
| biotic factor | an environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activities of living organisms; the living or once living part of an ecosystem |
| community | a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other |
| ecosystem | a community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
| evolution | a change in the characteristics of a population from one generation to the next |
| fungus | an organism whose cells have nuclei, rigid cell walls, and no chlorophyll and that belongs to the kingdom Fungi |
| gymnosperm | a woody vascular seed plant whose seeds are not enclosed by an ovary or fruit |
| habitat | the place where an organism usually lives |
| invertebrate | an animal that does not have a backbone |
| natural selection | the process by which individuals that have favorable variations and are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do |
| organism | a living thing; anything that can carry out life processes independently |
| population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed |
| protist | an organism that belongs to the kingdom Protista |
| resistance | the ability of an organism to tolerate a chemical or disease-causing agent |
| species | a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring |
| vertebrate | an animal that has a backbone; including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish |
