Abiotic and Biotic Lesson

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Environmental Science

With your tables on white board:
create a list of characteristics that
answer this question:

What makes something living?

Open Ended

What makes something living ?

These are all living. Do we need to modify
our responses?

Scientists have
determined these
characteristics make
something living:

●Made up of cells

●Able to obtain and use energy

●Able to grow and develop

●Able to reproduce

●Able to respond and adapt to
the environment

What is the difference between a biotic

and an abiotic factor?

Biotic Factors

●Anything Living or
Once Living.

●Examples include:
○Animals

○Plants

○Fungi

○Bacteria

○Algae

Abiotic Factors

●Anything Non-Living.

●Examples include:
○Nutrients

○Light

○Salinity (salt)

○Temperature

○pH

○Sediments / Soil

○Water

Common Misconceptions:

Decaying Plant and Animals

●Decaying plant and animal matter is considered: Biotic

●While they are “dead” they once were considered living so
therefore we consider it biotic

●Abiotic factors have never been considered living and never had
the following:
●Made up of cells

●Able to obtain and use energy

●Able to grow and develop

●Able to reproduce

●Able to respond and adapt to the environment

Apply Your
Knowledge:
On your
white boards:

List 3 biotic
and 3 abiotic
factors in these
environments.

Environment #1

Open Ended

List 3 biotic
and 3 abiotic
factors in these
environments.

Apply Your
Knowledge:
On your
white boards:

List 3 biotic
and 3 abiotic
factors in these
environments.

Environment #2

Open Ended

List 3 biotic and 3 abiotic factors in these environments.

Apply Your
Knowledge:
On your
white boards:

List 3 biotic
and 3 abiotic
factors in these
environments.

Environment #3

Open Ended

List 3 biotic and 3 abiotic factors in these environments.

Exit Slip:

On your White Board, please identify the following as biotic or abiotic
and EXPLAIN why you identified it as that.

●Temperature

●Salinity

●Cactus

●Amount of sunlight

●Ocean currents

●Human

●Sediments