Biology Ecology
Terms
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- biomes
- Distinctive associations of plant and animal populations; characterized by certain geographical boundaries and specific climatic and geographical features.
- biodiversity
- The genetic, species, and ecological diversity of the organisms in a given area.
- biosphere (Gr. bios, life, + sphaira, globe).
- The earth and all of its ecological interactions considered as a single system.
- biogeochemical cycles
- Movement of matter within or between ecosystems; caused by living organisms, geological forces, or chemical reactions. The cycling of nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, oxygen, phosphorus, and water are examples.
- homeostasis
- Tendency of living organisms to maintain a steady state in their internal environmental conditions, including body temperature, blood sugar level, and metabolic rate.
- heterotroph
- An organism that is incapable of synthesizing its own food and, therefore, must feed upon organic compounds produced by other organisms.
- habitat
- (L. habitare, to dwell). The place where an organism normally lives or where individuals of a population live.
- logistic growth logistic growth
- Growth rates regulated by internal and external factors that establish an equilibrium with environmental resources; species may grow exponentially when resources are unlimited but slowly as the carrying capacity is reached. See S curve.
- limiting factors
- Chemical or physical factors that limit the existence, growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism. The principle of limiting factors states that for each physical factor in the environment, there are both minimum and maximum limits (tolerance limits) beyond which a particular species cannot survive. The single factor closest to a tolerance limit for a given species at a given time is the critical factor.
- exponential growthant fraction or exponent.
- Growth at a constant rate of increase per unit of time; can be expressed as a const