Unit 12 Vocab

3. organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter
6. animal that consumes the carcasses of other animals
8. organism that obtains food by consuming other living things; also called a consumer
9. network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
10. any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
11. each step in a food chain or food web
12. a series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
13. all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment
15. process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates
16. scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
18. part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere
19. illustration of the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain or food web (energy,biomass,numbers)
21. process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
22. a group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time
23. physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem

1. a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
2. classification comprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding
4. organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals
5. organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter
7. organism that obtains energy by eating only plants
14. organism that obtains energy by eating animals
17. assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
20. organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer