Vocabulary: The Biosphere

7. Feeds on dead matter, such as an earthworm
10. Different populations that live together in an area
11. Consumes the carcasses of other animals, such as a vulture
12. _____ factor: Any nonliving part of an environment
16. The main source of energy on Earth
19. The process in which autotrophs use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates
20. The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
21. Each step in a food chain or food web
23. A network of all the food chains in an ecosystem
24. Eats only animals, such as a snake

1. Organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food
2. Organisms that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use that energy to produce food
3. Another name for an autotroph
4. Obtains energy by eating only plants, such as a cow
5. The process in which autotrophs capture light energy and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugars
6. A group of ecosystems that have similar climates and organisms
8. Another name for a heterotroph
9. A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
13. _____ factor: Any living part of an environment
14. The parts of the planet in which all life exists
15. Eats both plants and animals, such as a human
17. All the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their physical environment
18. Breaks down organic matter, such as a fungus
22. Individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area