| A | B |
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| ecology | the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment |
| population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed |
| ecosystem | a community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
| biosphere | the part of Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on Earth |
| herbivore | an organism that eats only plants |
| omnivore | an organism that eats both plants and animals |
| carnivore | an organism that eats animals |
| food chain | the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms |
| prey | an organism that is killed and eaten by another organism |
| predator | an organism that eats all or part of another organism |
| symbiosis | a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other |
| condensation | the change of state from a gas to a liquid |
| decomposition | the breakdown of substances into simpler molecular substances; may result from effects of biological activity |
| combustion | the burning of a substance |
| succession | the replacement of one type of community by another at a single location over a period of time |
| water cycle | the movement of water between the oceans, atmosphere, land, and living things |
| carbon cycle | Besides water, the most common molecules in living things are organic molecules, or molecules that contain carbon. The exchange of carbon between the environment and living things is known as the carbon cycle. |
| renewable resource | a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed |
| nonrenewable resource | a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which the resource is consumed |
| overpopulation | a condition that occurs when the number of individuals within an environment becomes so large that there are not enough resources to support them all |
| biodiversity | the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem |
| conservation | the preservation and wise use of natural resources |
| green energy | energy that is sustainable and renewable with minimal negative impact on people and the environment (biofuels, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal) |
