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Glossary
We realize that some of the terms used here may be new to you. Some of these words can get down-right confusing. That's why we included this glossary to help you keep all the definitions straight.
A,B,C - D,E,F - G,H,I - J,K,L - M,N,O - P,Q,R - S,T,U - V,W,X,Y,Z
Abiotic factors – things in the environment that are not living but still affect living things such as temperature, water, climate, soil, etc.
Adaptation- adjustments an organism makes to better fit the conditions of its environment
Beaks/bills- the hard pointed mouth of a bird (or even turtles) used to puncture objects and break seeds and nuts
Biotic factors- any type of living thing in an environment
Bog- a poorly drained portion of land that is usually rich in accumulated plant material frequently surrounding a body of open water.
Brackish- somewhat salty usually the area of water between fresh and salt water.
Brood- one nest of eggs produced by a bird
Captivity- a state of isolation; refers to plants and animals that are kept out of the wild as pets or in a garden
Carnivore- an animal that eats meat
Claws- the sharp nails of animals used for preying, grasping, and defense
Climate- the average course of weather in an area
Competition- a demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply
Coniferous- cone bearing plant without flowers that keeps it leaves all year long
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Deciduous- Flowering trees that loses their leaves every year
Decomposer- Any type of organism that feeds on dead plant and animal material, turning it into soil
Deforestation- clearing lands of forest.
Desert- a portion of hot arid land with sandy terrain
Diploid- having two sets of chromosomes
Echolocation- the use of high frequency sound waves to determine the position of nearby objects
Ecology- the study of the interrelationship of the organisms and their environment
Endangered- an organism that is so rare it is in danger of becoming extinct
Exoskeleton- the external supportive covering of some kinds of animals, mainly insects
Fauna- the types of animals in an area
Feathers - a flat, hollow shaft with parallel barbs on the outside of a bird
Field - A broad level, open area of land
Fin - An outer appendage of a fish or other aquatic animal containing membranes that is used for propulsion, steering, and balance
Flora - Plants of a certain group in a particular region
Forest - A dense growth of plants, trees, and underbrush covering a large area
Fur - Soft hair covering a mammal, often used as insulation
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Gills - breathing device of aquatic animals
Grassland - An area where grass and grass-like plants are the dominant plants
Habitat - A particular environment where an organism lives and is most likely found
Haploid - A single set of chromosomes characterized by the symbol 1N, or half of the total number of chromosomes
Herbivore - an organism that eats plants
Hibernation - An inactive or dormant period
Insulation - protection from heat and cold
Invertebrate - An organism without a backbone
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Jaws - Two bony structures that make the frame of the mouth
Jungle - Land with dense tropical growth
Lake - a large body of fresh or salt water completely surrounded by land
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Marsh - A soft, wet piece of land that is usually a transition between land and water and has grassy plants growing in and around it
Metamorphosis - A change in the form and habits of an animal during normal development; usually occurs in stages.
Migrate - A temporary change of location from one region to another usually for an Earth season i.e. winter, spring, summer, fall. This is often found in birds
Molt - periodically shedding an outer covering of the body
Omnivore - an organism that eats both meat and plants
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Parasite - An organism that receives nutrients from its host, usually without killing its host
Pastures - grass or other plants fed upon by animals
Paw - the foot of an animal containing claws or nails
Peninsula - A piece of land surrounded on three sides by water
Pioneer - A plant or animal species that establishes itself in a barren environment
Plain - a large, level, treeless piece of land
Pollution - release of harmful products in the ground, water, or atmosphere
Pond - A body of water smaller than a lake
Population - All of the organisms of a specific group in a particular region
Predator - an organism that preys on other organisms
Prey - An animal hunted for food by a predator
Producer- Any organism that makes its own food, i.e. plants
Quills - a sharp hollow spine of a porcupine or hedgehog and the hollow shaft of a feather.
River - a moving body of water usually fed by tributaries, other streams, that empties into a larger body of water
Rural - A country, or farming region without a lot of humans
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Spawning - the act of fish fertilizing their eggs to create new fish
Stream - a steady current of water, or a small river
Suburban - the area between the country and city having a moderate number of humans
Succession - the process of ecosystem development brought about by changes
Swamp - a saturated lowland with semi-good drainage and wooded plants growing in and around it.
Teeth - hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates
Threatened Species- A species that is rare and could become endangered if its numbers decrease further.
Toxin - A poisonous substance created by living cells capable of causing disease in the body
Tundra - a permanently frozen treeless area
Urban - An area characterized by cities and many humans
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Vertebrate - An organism with a backbone
Wetland - A low lying area saturated with moisture
Whiskers - Stiff hair like bristles growing near the mouth of mammals