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Decomposer. Fungi acting as decomposers of a fallen tree branch. Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms; they carry out decomposition, a process possible by only certain kingdoms, such as fungi. [1] Like herbivores and predators, decomposers are heterotrophic, meaning that they use organic material to get their ...
A rotten apple after it fell from a tree. Decomposing fallen nurse log in a forest. Decomposition or rot is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts.
In biology, a phylum (/ ˈfaɪləm /; pl.: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants accepts the terms as equivalent. [1][2][3] Depending on ...
Median lethal dose. In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for " lethal dose, 50%"), LC50 (lethal concentration, 50%) or LCt50 is a toxic unit that measures the lethal dose of a given substance. [1] The value of LD 50 for a substance is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population after a specified test ...
Abiotic component. In biology and ecology, abiotic components or abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems. Abiotic factors and the phenomena associated with them underpin biology as a whole. They affect a plethora of species, in all forms of ...
Reproductive isolation. The mechanisms of reproductive isolation are a collection of evolutionary mechanisms, behaviors and physiological processes critical for speciation. They prevent members of different species from producing offspring, or ensure that any offspring are sterile.
Solitary predator: a polar bear feeds on a bearded seal it has killed. Social predators: meat ants cooperate to feed on a cicada far larger than themselves. Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes ...
Acquired characteristic. An acquired characteristic is a non- heritable change in a function or structure of a living organism caused after birth by disease, injury, accident, deliberate modification, variation, repeated use, disuse, misuse, or other environmental influence. Acquired traits are synonymous with acquired characteristics.