Ecosystems Crossword Puzzle

2. organism that lives on and breaks down other organisms or their waste for matter and energy
3. an organism that gets matter and energy by eating other organisms
6. to take in or soak up
8. loose material that covers the ground; made of rock particles, organic matter, air, and water
9. organism that lives on living or once-living organisms (examples include: mushrooms, molds, yeast)
11. a network of connected food chains showing feeding relationships within an ecosystem
12. a type of matter made of particles that are moving freely in space
15. a specific area where plants, animals, decomposers, and other organisms interact with each other and their environment
18. a tiny piece of matter that is too small to be seen with our eyes

1. a living thing that is too small to be seen without a microscope (example: protist, bacteria)
4. a fallen tree that helps other things live and grow
5. the natural environment that helps organisms live, grow, and survive
7. a living organism that produces its own food, usually using matter from air and water and by transferring energy from the Sun
10. any organism (microscopic organism, fungus, or animal) that feeds on and breaks down matter from once-living organisms into particles that can be used by other organisms
13. to break down food into tiny pieces that can be used by an organism's body
14. a sequence of organisms that eat each other, showing how matter and energy move in a natural system
16. the ability to cause a change (Evidence of energy transfer includes motion, sound, light, heat, or electrical current.)
17. any substance that takes up space and can be measured by its weight or mass