| A | B |
|---|
| Abiotic Factors | Nonliving component of an ecosystem |
| Decomposition | Process of breaking substancesdown into smaller chemical units |
| Food Webs | Overlapping food chains of an ecosystem |
| Decomposers | An organism which obtains energy and nutrients from decaying organic material |
| Autotrophs | An organism that forms its own food from abiotic factors |
| Oxidation | Removal of electrons from a molecule, altering molecular arrangements |
| Enzymes | A protein based molecule that catalyzes specific biochemical reactions |
| Entropy | A measure of the degree of disorganization in a system |
| Free Energy | Energy that is available to do work |
| Chemical Energy | Energy stored in the structure of molecules |
| Chemical Reactions | Change in chemical bonds that produces one or more new substances |
| Synthesis | Building of chemical compounds from smaller components via chemical reactions |
| ATP | A compound used by cells to store energy and to fuel many metabolic processes |
| Metabolism | Sum of all chemical changes taking place in an organism |
| Peristalsis | Rhythmic contractions of the digestive systems' smooth muscles |
| Ecosystem | A biological community and its abiotic environment |
| Reduction | Gain of electrons by a substance in a chemical reaction |
| Endothermic | Reactions that absorb energy, such as photosynthesis |
| Exothermic | Reactions that release energy, such as cellular respiration |
| Ingestion | Process of taking food into the digestive tract |
