1. Life Science

2. root
the part of the plant that grows downward to hold the plant in place, absorb water and mineral foods, and to store food material

3. stem
the main part of a plant that supports the branches, leaves, flowers, or fruit of the plant

4. xylem
narrow tubes that carry water, minerals, and food upward from the roots to the leaves

5. phloem
tubes that carry food made in the leaves to other parts of the plant

6. leaf
the food factory of the plant that uses water, minerals, carbon dioxide, and energy from sunlight to make food

7. chlorophyll
the green color, or pigment, in plants that help plants use light energy to produce foods (sugar)

8. photosynthesis
the process in which plants use chlorophyll to make food

9. producer
an organism (plant) that makes its own food

10. consumer
all organisms (except plants) that must eat to get the energy they need

11. food chain
the way organisms in an ecosystem interact with one another according to what they eat

12. herbivores
organisms and animals that eat plants

13. carnivores
organisms and animals that eat meat

14. omnivores
organisms and animals that eat plants and meat

15. decomposers
organisms like mushrooms and bacteria that break down tissues of dead organisms

16. food web
shows the relationship between many different food chains in a single ecosystem

17. energy pyramid
shows the amount of energy available to pass from one level of a food chain to the next

18. individual
a single organism in an environment

19. population
all the individuals of the same kind living in the same environment

20. community
all the populations of organisms living together in an environment

21. ecosystem
a community and its physical environment together

22. habitat
a place in an ecosystem where a population lives

23. niche
the role each population has in its habitat

24. biome
a large-scale ecosystem (a biome includes the climate and the plants and animals adapted to living in that climate)

25. nitrogen cycle
the cycle in which nitrogen gas is changed into forms of nitrogen that plants can use

26. carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle
the process in which carbon dioxide and oxygen cycle (move) among plants, animas, and the environment

27. water cycle
the cycle in which Earth’s water moves through the environment

28. evaporation
heat from the sun changes water on Earth’s surface to water vapor

29. condensation
water vapor changes back into liquid water

30. precipitation
any form of water that falls from the clouds

31. transpiration
the process in which plants give off water through their stomata

32. life cycle
the series of distinct stages of life that most organisms grow and mature through

33. direct development
a kind of growth where organisms keep the same body features as they grow larger (ex. humans)

36. metamorphosis
a change in the shape or characteristics of an organism’s body as it grows
(ex. insects and frogs)

39. incomplete metamorphosis
a kind of growth that includes only 3 stages of development: egg, nymph, and adult

40. Life Cycle of the Meal Worm
(Darkling Beetle)

41. molting
the process of shedding the outer skeleton, giving an insect room to grow

43. complete metamorphosis
a kind of growth that has 4 distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult

44. Life Cycle of an Ant

46. Plant Life Cycle

47. Seeds
Seeds are easily stored, compact and are usually dark brown.

48. Germination
With water, the right temperature and the right location (soil) the seed begins to make a new plant.

49. Stems & Roots
Stems put up towards the light, leaves unfold to take more sunlight, and branches appear. Roots push down to anchor the new plants while they take up minerals and water from the soil.

50. Flowers
Part of plant which produces seeds and is usually colorful

51. Pollination
Flowers are pollinated in various ways – by bees, and other animals or even by the wind. At the base of each flower, seeds are formed.

52. inherited trait
a characteristic that is passed from parent to offspring

53. dominant trait
a strong trait (can be seen when passed to the offspring by one or both parents)

54. recessive trait
a weak trait (can be seen only if both parents pass the factor for it to the offspring)

55. gene
structures on a chromosome that contains the DNA code for a trait an organism inherits

56. competition
the contest among organisms for the limited resources of an ecosystem

57. camouflage
patterns of body color that help animals compete for limited food resources

58. predator
an animal that hunts another animal for food

59. prey
an animal that is hunted or seized for food by another animal

60. instinct
a behavior that an organism inherits (ex. Behaviors for building shelters, finding mates, instinct to hunt, migration)

61. learned behaviors
behaviors that organisms have learned from their parents, not inherited from them (ex. A lion cub learning hunting skills, a bird knowing what kind of nest to build)