| A | B |
|---|
| Crust | the Earth's surface |
| Mantle | a thick shell of Earth below the crust that behaves like a solid |
| Core | the center of the Earth |
| Lithosphere | the solid portion of the Earth's crust |
| Atmosphere | the layer of air surrounding Earth |
| Hydrosphere | the surface water on Earth |
| Biosphere (Ecosphere) | the global ecosystem, or the sum total of all the various ecosystems on Earth |
| Environment | all of the external conditions and influences affecting the life, development, and ultimately the survival of an individual organism or population |
| Ecosystem | an area of nature that includes living organisms and nonliving substances interacting to produce an exchange of materials between the living and nonliving parts. |
| Biotic | the living parts of an ecosystem |
| Abiotic | the nonliving parts of an ecosystem |
| Habitat | the specific region in which an organism lives |
| Niche | all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce in an ecosystem |
