| A | B |
|---|
| Hypothesis | A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question; must be testable. |
| Variable | A factor in an experiment that can change. |
| Observation | Data collected using one of your senses |
| Inference | An interpretation based on observations and prior knowledge |
| Manipulated variable | The one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment also called independent variable. |
| Prediction | Forecasting what will happen based on past experience or evidence. |
| Quantitative Data | An Observation that deals with characteristics that can be expressed in numbers |
| Qualitative Data | An observation that deals with characteristics that cannot be expressed in numbers. |
| Organism | A living thing |
| Habitat | A specific environment that provides the things an organism need to live |
| Abiotic Factor | A non living part of an organism's habitat |
| Biotic Factor | A living part of an organism's habitat |
| Species | A group of organisms that are physically similar and can mate with each other and produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce |
| Population | All the members of one species in a particular area. |
| Ecosystem | The community of organisms that live in a particular area |
| Biome | A group of land ecosystems with similar climates and organisms |
| Community | All the different populations that live together in an area |
| Characteristics of Life | Grow and develop, , reproduce use energy respond to stimuli are made of cells the chemicals of life maintain homeostasis |
| Stimulus | A change in an organism's surroundings that causes the organism to react |
| Response | An action or change in behavior that occurs in reaction to a stimulus |
| Homeostasis | The maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism |
| Succession | The series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time |
| Phenology | The scientific study of periodic biological phenomena |
| Controlled experiment | An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time |
| Autotroph | An organism that makes its own food |
| Herterotroph | An organism that cannot make its own food |
| Primary Succession | The series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist |
| Secondary Succession | The series of changes that occur in an area where the ecosystem has been disturbed but where soil and organisms still exist |
| Unicellular | Single celled |
| Multicellular | Many celled |
| Development | The process of change that occurs during an organism's life to produce a more complex organism |
| Spontaneous generation | The belief that living things can arise from nonliving sources |
| Data | the facts figures and other evidence gathered |
| Operational definition | a statement that describes how to measure a variable |
| Responding variable | dependent variable |
| Pioneer species | The first species to populate an area |
| Three main Minnesota biomes | Prairie Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest |
