acid rain
adapt
rain that is contaminated with pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases
to change in order to fit a new situation or use
aquarium
aquatic
a water filled glass or plastic container where organisms can live and be observed
living in water
classify
conclusion
to group things together because they share one or more properties
a decision that is based on observation or on a study of data
constant
consumer
a condition that is not changed in a scientific experiment
an organism that feeds on other organisms or organic matter because it cannot make its own food
controlled experiment
data
a scientific investigation in which one variable is changed and all the others are kept the same, or constant.
information, such as that gathered during an experiment.
disrupt
ecology
to upset the development, movement, or organization of someone or some thing
the science concerned with the relationships among living things and their environment
ecosystem
entomologist
a community that includes all the living and nonliving things found in a certain area
a scientist who studies insect life
environment
evidence
everything that surrounds an organism and influences it
something that offers proof
experiment
fossil fuel
a procedure that is carried out to investigate a scientific question
fuels formed from plant or animal remains, such as coal, gas, and oil
germination
habitat
the process by which seeds swell up and begin to sprout and develop roots
a place that is natural for an organism to live
hypothesis
live-bearer
a prediction about how something works or how two variables are related
an animal that gives birth to live, fully formed offspring
opinion
photosynthesis
an expression of how one thinks or feels about something, based on personal views and not necessarily on facts
the process by which green plants and blue-green algae, in the presence of light, make food out of carbon dioxide and water
pollutant
procedures
anything that spreads harmful or unpleasant substances into the air, water, or ground
a set of steps that explains how to do something
producer
respiration
an organism that can make its own food through the process of photosynthesis
the processes by which an organism takes in and processes oxygen and releases carbon dioxide
scavenger
sediment
an organism, also known as a decomposer, that eats dead or decaying organic matter
small pieces of rock, plant, and animal material that are carried by water, wind, or ice
stable
system
steady, balanced
a number of objects or units that move or work together as a whole
terrarium
terrestrial
a closed glass or plastic container where organisms can live and be observed
of or related to the land
trade-off
variable
the act of giving up one thing in order to get another
an element in an experiment that can be changed
water pollution
watershed
condition that exists when harmful materials have entered the water and made it harmful to organisms
an area of land that is drained by a stream or river and its branches
weight
algae
a measurement of the force of gravity on an object
nonvascular plants that are often found in aquatic or marine environments and provides both food and a place for organisms to live
crickets
elodea
land-dwelling arthropods that have six legs (insects), make a chirping song by rubbing their legs together and are known for their ability to jumparthropods
a genus of aquatic plants often called the water weeds
guppy
interdependence
small fish
being mutually responsible to and sharing a common set of principles with others
snails
co-exist
members of the molluscan class Gastropoda which have coiled shells in the adult stagemolluscan Gastropodashells
exist together
decomposers
dependent
members of an ecosystem that break down organic material so it may be used again (or recycled) by the ecosystemecosystem organic
to depend on something else for survival
oxygen
protection
an element that is normally colorless odorless and tasteless and which is the most abundant element and is essential to life
anything that helps ward off some threat
climate
pH
the average and variations of weather in a region over long periods of time
a term that refers to the relative concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, and therefore whether the solution is acid or base solutionacidbase
soil
temperature
the top layer of earth composed of organic materials (humus); inorganic materials (sand, silt, and clay), water, and air
a measurement of the amount of heat a substance contains
thermometer
nutrients
a device for measuring temperature
food for plants
toxins
decay
a poisonous substancepoisonous
the process where bacteria and other decomposers break down dead thingsbacteria decomposers
food chain
recycle
The ways in which the organisms in an ecosystem interact with one another according to what they eat
to take something that would otherwise be thrown away and make it into something that can be used again
water cycle
the ongoing process in nature that recycles fresh water