PTE

to break down dead organic material into simpler substances, or to undergo this process

to have developed through generations from a particular ancestral organism or group

the molecule that stores genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of living organisms

alive but temporarily showing little activity or growth until conditions become suitable

a system formed by living organisms interacting with each other and their nonliving surroundings

at serious risk of disappearing completely as a species

retaining green leaves throughout the year while replacing individual leaves over time

change in the inherited characteristics of populations across generations

to change in inherited characteristics across successive generations of a population

a sequence showing how food energy passes as one organism is eaten by another

a network of feeding relationships connecting multiple food chains within an ecosystem

the accumulated evidence from fossils showing what organisms lived in the past and how life changed over time

an organism, such as a mushroom, mold, or yeast, that obtains nutrients by absorbing organic substances

a hereditary unit of DNA containing instructions for a functional biological product

differences in genes or DNA sequences among individuals within a population

to eat growing grass and other low plants, or to allow animals to feed in this way

the natural environment in which a particular organism lives and obtains resources

an animal that feeds mainly on plants or plant material

to pass a prolonged period, usually in winter, in a state of greatly reduced activity and metabolism

an organism that provides a living place and resources for a parasite

to receive genetic material from a parent through biological reproduction

a characteristic passed from parents to offspring through genetic information

a species introduced outside its natural range whose establishment and spread cause environmental, economic, or other harm

to join with another animal in sexual reproduction

a living organism so small that it normally requires a microscope to be seen clearly

the regular or seasonal movement of animals between habitats or regions

a change in a DNA sequence that can introduce new genetic variation

a species that occurs naturally in an area rather than being brought there through human activity

a process in which inherited differences affect how successfully organisms leave offspring in a particular environment