Essential
Vocabulary
List
September 30, 2015
1.Bio-Life
2. Biotic—living parts
of an ecosystem even if
they are dead, they are
still biotic
3. Abiotic—nonliving
parts of an
ecosystem; Dead
does not equal
abiotic
4. Organism-any living
thing
5. Producer—an
organism that makes its
own food—plant —uses
photosynthesis to make
its food.
6. Consumer—an
organism that eats
other organisms.
7. Primary
Consumer—An
organism that eats
only producers—plant
eater.
8. Secondary
Consumer—An
organism that eats both
producers and
consumers.
9. Tertiary ConsumerAn organism that eats
both producers and
consumers and has no
natural predators.
10. Decomposer—An
organism that eats dead
or decaying organisms.
11. Scavenger—An
animal that hunts dead
animals.
12. Food chain—the
transfer of energy from
one organism to another
along ONE pathway.
13. Food Web—the
transfer of energy from
organism to organism along
MORE THAN ONE
overlapping pathway.
14. Autotroph—an
organism that makes its
own food. (Producer)
15. Heterotroph—an
organism that does not
make its own food.
(consumers)
16. Habitat—what an
organism needs to
survive…food, water,
shelter, and space.
17. Population—all
the organisms of one
species living in a
habitat.
Example…all the deer
in a forest.
18. Community—all
the populations of
organisms living in a
habitat.
19. Ecosystem—a
community of living
organisms and their
non-living surroundings.
20. Symbiosis—a
relationship between
two organisms living
together in their
environment.
21. Parasitism—one of
the three types of
symbiosis where one
organism lives on or in
another and causes
harm to the organism.
22. Parasite—an
organism that lives in or
on another organism in
order to get food and
protection. The
parasite causes harm to
the other organism.
23. Host—an organism
that is harmed by the
parasite that lives on or
in it.
24. Commensalism—
one of the three types
of symbiosis where one
organism lives on or in
another organism
without harming the
other organism.
25. Mutualism—one of
the three types of
symbiosis where both
organisms benefit and
neither organism is
harmed.
26. Cell Theory states:
1.
2.
3.
All living things are made
of cells.
Cells are the structure and
function of life.
Cells come from other
cells.
27. Cell Wall—The
outermost covering of a
plant cell. Provides
support and protection
for plant cells. It is
made of cellulose.
28. Cell Membrane—
found just inside the cell
wall of a plant cell and is
the outer covering of an
animal cell. Controls
what goes into and out
of a cell.
29. Cytoplasm—a thick
gel-like material that fills
the cell. It helps move
things around the cell.
30. Nucleus—the brain
or control center of the
cell. It contains the
genetic material that
controls the cell. Also
contains the nucleolus.
31. Nuclear Membrane—
the outer covering of the
nucleus that controls what
goes into and out of the
nucleus.
32. Chromatin—the
genetic material found
within the nucleus that
contains directions for
the cell.
33. Nucleolus—
Nicknamed the “little
nucleus”, the nucleolus
is found inside the
nucleus and is
responsible for making
ribosomes.
34. Ribosomes—
produced by the
nucleolus, ribosomes
are responsible for
making protein that is
distributed throughout
the cell.
35. Chloroplast-found
in plant cells—the site of
photosynthesis. These are
green because they contain
chlorophyll, the green
chemical used to make food
during photosynthesis.
36. Mitochondria—
nicknamed the
“Powerhouse” of the cell, the
mitochondria are responsible
for cellular respiration. This
is how a cell gets energy.
37. Golgi Bodies– the
“mailroom” of the cell,
the Golgi bodies
package and prepare
materials for transport
throughout the cell.
38. Endoplasmic
Reticulum—the
transportation system
of the cell. Moves
materials around the cell
after they are packaged
by the Golgi Bodies.
39. Rough
Endoplasmic
Reticulum—ER that
has ribosomes on its
surface.
40. Smooth
Endoplasmic
Reticulum—ER with no
ribosomes along
attached to its surface.
41. Vacuole-stores
water, food, and waste
materials for the cell.
These are large in plant
cells in order to store
the water they need.
42. lysosomes—small
packages of strong
chemicals used to clean
up the cell of broken
parts and left over food
materials.
43. Microtubules—
hollow rods that help
support and shape the
cell and help move
organelles through the
cytoplasm.