Ecology vocab
Eat producers and consumers
omnivore
organism that cannot make own food
consumer
non-living parts of ecosystem
abiotic factors
What do scientists call body parts that are similar in structure but have different functions?
homologous structures
Changes in living things over generations is called what?
evolution
Eat herbivores, omnivores, or other carnivores
carnivore
organism that makes its own food
producer
largest number of individuals of a particular species that an ecosystem can support over time
carrying capacity
What do scientists call body parts that are similar in function, but not structure?
analogous structures
Are bird wings and butterfly wings homologous or analogus?
analogous
an animal that is hunted and caught for food
prey
anything that can limit the size of a population
limiting factor
animal that hunts and kills other animals for food
predator
What is defined as observing similar structures in organisms and comparing them to each other?
comparative anatomy
Are human arms and dog legs homologous or analogous?
homologous
complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships
food web
in an ecosystem, refers to the unique ways an organism survives, obtains food and shelter, and avoids danger
niche
chain showing how energy passes from one organism to the next
food chain
What is the best definition of an embryo?
an unborn or unhatched baby
The formation of a brand new species is called
speciation
consume wastes and dead organisms
decomposer
all the living organisms that live in an area and the nonliving features of their environment
ecosystem
living things within an ecosystem
biotic factors
What are preserved organisms from many years ago showing a record of past life?
fossils
A change in genetic material (DNA) is called what?
mutation