GG Food Webs Vocab

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Food Chain

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sequence of living things; each feeds on the one below

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Food Web

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model of intersecting food chains

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Photosynthesis

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plants use sunlight to make sugar from CO2 and water

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Producer

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living thing (usually plant); takes energy from sun; makes own food; first level of food chain

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Apex Predator

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top of food web; not eaten by others (e.g., sharks, owls, lions)

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Decomposer

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breaks down dead/decaying organisms; bacteria and fungi

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bacteria

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tiny living things that are everywhere around us. We can only see them with a very powerful microscope. They are important in an ecosystem to break down dead and decaying matter.

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fungi

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a living thing that helps break down dead and decaying matter. Some familiar ones are mushrooms, mold, and yeast.

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extinction

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a living thing that is no longer found alive anywhere on Earth today

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compost

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usually made by gathering plant material such as leaves and vegetable peels into a pile and letting it decompose over many months thanks to bacteria and fungi. The resulting substance can be used as a fertilizer for plants.