Science Vocabulary
Unit B Chapter 5
(25 words)

abiotic factor -  a nonliving part of an ecosystem

biotic factor -  a living part of an ecosystem

carnivore -  an animal that eats another animal

carrying capacity -  the maximum population size that an area can support

commensalism -  a relationship between two kinds of organisms that benefits one without harming the other

community – all the living things in an ecosystem

ecology – the study of how living and nonliving things interact

ecosystem – all the living and nonliving things in an environment, including their interactions with each other

endangered species – a species that is in danger of becoming extinct

extinct – a species that has died out completely

food chain – the path of the energy in food from one organism to another

food web – the overlapping food chains in an ecosystem

habitat – the place where a plant or animal naturally lives and grow

herbivore – an animal that eats plants, algae, and other producers

limiting factor – anything that controls the growth or survival of a population

mutualism – a relationship between two kinds of organisms that benefits both

niche – the role of an organism in a community

omnivore – an animal that eats both plants and animals

parasitism – a relationship in which one organism lives in or on another organism and benefits from that relationship while the other organism may be harmed by it

population – all the members of one species in an area

predator – an animal that hunts other animals for food

prey – a living thing that is hunted for food

scavenger – a meat-eating animal that feeds on the remains of dead animals

symbiosis – a relationship between two kinds of organisms that lasts over time