Organisms and the Relationships

Lesson 1

Organisms and Their

Relationships

Focus Question

What relationships among organisms
might exist for a bird who built its nest in a tree in the jungle?

New Vocabulary

abiotic factor

biome

biosphere
biotic factor

biological community

commensalism

ecology

ecosystem

habitat
niche

mutualism

limiting factor

parasitism

population

predation
symbiosis

tolerance

Review Vocabulary

species: group of organisms that can interbreed
and produce viable offspring; group of organisms
with a distinct evolutionary history

Open Ended

What kind of relationships exist between plants and animals?

Multiple Choice

Which of these is a single species?

• African Elephant [Loxodonta africana]

• Shark

• Oak Tree

Reorder

Reorder the following from smallest (lowest level of organization) to biggest.

• Organism

• Species

• Population

• Community

• Biosphere

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Ecology

• Organisms depend on other organisms and

nonliving factors in their environment for
survival.

• Ecology is the scientific discipline in which the

relationships among living organisms and the
interaction the organisms have with their
environments are studied.

Ecology

• Ecologists observe, experiment, and model

using a variety of tools and methods.

• A model allows scientists to visualize or

simulate a process or system.

• Scientists use physical models, mathematical

models, and computer models.

Categorize

Options (8)

Tiger

Lion

Wolf

Rabbit

Deer

Mouse

African Lion (Panthera leo)

Desert

Organize these options into the right categories

Predator

Prey

Species

Biome

Word Cloud

What kinds of jobs might someone with an ecology degree do? (Hint: Ms. B has an ecology degree) Put one to two words.

The Biosphere

• The biosphere is the portion of the Earth

that supports life.

• It includes landmasses, freshwater,

saltwater, lower portions of the atmosphere,
and areas beneath the Earth’s surface.

Fill in the Blank

The biosphere is the portion of the Earth that supports

Draw

Draw the biosphere

The Biosphere

Biotic Factors
• Biotic factors are living factors in an organism’s

environment.

• Interactions among organisms are necessary for

the survival of species in the same geographic
location.

Abiotic Factors
• Abiotic factors are the nonliving factors in an

organism’s environment.

• Organisms adapt to survive in the abiotic factors

present in their natural environment.

Match

Match these to their correct groups

• A group of humans together

• One living thing

• Interbreeding living things

• Different kinds of living things together

• The part of Earth that supports life

Population

Organism

Species

Community

Biosphere

• Population

• Organism

• Species

• Community

• Biosphere

Categorize

Options (6)

Plants

Animals

Fungus

Soil

Sunlight

Water

Organize these options into the right categories

Biotic

Abiotic