ECOLOGY

Scavenger: An animal that feeds on decaying matter such as carrion.

Biotic: Pertaining to, or produced by life or living organisms

Ecology: The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and
with each other.

Decomposer: Any organism that feeds on decomposing organic material, especially such a bacterium or
fungus

Autotroph: Any organism that can synthesize its food from inorganic substances, using heat or light as a
source of energy.

Habitat: A place or type of site where an organism or population naturally lives.

Carnivore: An organism that feeds chiefly on animals; an animal that feeds on meat as the main part of
its diet.

Environment: The ecological components (both abiotic and biotic) that encompass a specific
geographical area. The term environment often refers to an ecosystem.

Hydrosphere: All the liquid waters of the Earth, as distinguished from the land and the gases of the
atmosphere.

Niche: A function within an ecological system to which an organism is especially suited.

Ecosystem: The interconnectedness of organisms (plants, animals, microbes etc) with each other and
their environment.

Abiotic: Nonliving, characterised by the absence of life; of inorganic matter.

Biosphere: The part of the Earth and its atmosphere capable of supporting life.

Lithosphere: The rigid, strong, outer layer of the Earth; divided into twelve major plates.

Herbivore: An organism that feeds chiefly on plants; an animal that feeds on herbage or vegetation as
the main part of its diet.

Atmosphere: The gases surrounding the Earth.

Heterotrophs: An organism which requires an external supply of energy in the form of food as it cannot
synthesize its own.

Producers: An organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple molecules and an
external source of energy.

Omnivore: An animal which is able to consume both plants (like a herbivore) and meat (like a carnivore).

Carbon cycle shows the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on earth. Diamond and
graphite are the elemental forms of carbon and in a combined state, it is found as carbonates in
minerals and as carbon dioxide gas in the atmospher

The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. It is a
complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water evaporates into water vapor,
condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth in the form of rain and snow.
Nitrogen Cycle is the process which transforms the inert nitrogen present in the atmosphere to a more
usable form for living organisms.

Producers are the autotrophs(green plants), primary consumers are the herbivores or omnivores which
eat the producers, while secondary consumers are the carnivores or omnivores which eat the primary
consumers.

Feeding relationships are shown by links in the food Web.

The energy decreases as we go up the pyramid. Only 10% of the energy is transferred to the next trophic
level.

Biodiversity is the major factor that contributes to sustainable ecosystem. Others include technology,
climate change, innovation, ethics, people and environment.

Invasive species when introduced into an ecosystem, will expand into the ecosystem and modify it, most
times causing harm to the native species.

Oxygen rekindles a glowing splinter. Carbon di oxide turns lime water milky which later becomes a clear
solution on further exposure to carbon di oxide. Hydrogen burns with a 'pop' sound when exposed to a
lighted splinter.

Types of water purification include boiling, filtration, distillation, chlorination, UV treatment and reverse
osmosis.