Topic 1
Interactions Within an
Ecosystem
I. Interactions Within an Ecosystem
• Ecology is the study of the relationship between living
organisms and their environment
• An ecologist is someone who studies these relationships
A. The Needs of Living Things
1. Living things need food
2. Living things need water
3. Living things need a suitable habitat
4. Living things exchange gases
• Plants need carbon dioxide and produce oxygen
• Animals need oxygen and produce carbon dioxide
B. Adaptations
• An inherited characteristic that enables an organism to
survive and reproduce in an environment
• How an organism adjusts to “fit in”
• Some are learned during an organism’s lifetime
Assignment:
•ScienceFocus 7 Textbook – Read pages 6-13
•Complete “Needs of Living Things” Worksheet