1. The Living and Nonliving Environment

2. Abiotic Factors Nonliving, physical features of the environment
Soil, light, water, temperature
Helps determine which species can survive in an area

3. SOIL Mixed with biotic and abiotic components
The type of soil in a particular location helps determine the type of plants and other organisms in that location.

4. LIGHT
Seasonal events are often triggered by a change in the number of hours of daylight.
Sunlight is transformed into chemical energy (photosynthesis)

5. WATER Many organisms live in the water, and others consume it.
Almost all organisms are 50-90% water.
Respiration, photosynthesis, digestion, and other important life processes can take place only in the presence of water.

6. TEMPERATURE Changes daily and seasonally
Cold blooded animals have to maintain own body temperature and can’t live where it is extremely cold.

7. BIOTIC FACTOR Living organisms in the environment
Unicellular and multicellular

8. LEVELS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
organism
population
community
ecosystem
ecosystem
biosphere

9. ORGANISM
Single individual from a population

10. POPULATION
All of the individuals of one species living in the same area at the same time.
Individuals within a population are capable of breeding with one another

11. COMMUNITY
Made up of different species that interact in some way

12. ECOSYSTEM
Communities and the abiotic factors that affect them.

13. BIOSPHERE
Made up of all the ecosystems on Earth.

14. SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Symbiosis: any close relationship between two or more different species
Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

15. MUTUALISM Benefits both species
Example: Desert Yucca plant and Yucca Moth
The yucca plant depends on the moth to pollinate its flowers, and the plant provides a place for the moth to live, reproduce, and provide food for its larvae.

16. COMMENSALISM Benefits one partner but does not harm or help the other.
Example: Tropical fish swim into sea anenomes for protection, yet it doesn’t affect the anenome.

17. PARASITISM Benefits the parasite, but harms the host.
Example: Tapeworms that live inside the intestines of mammals.