12.4 Terminology

  • A population is a group of organisms from the same species inhabiting a single area. 
  • An organism community consists of all different populations living within the same area.
  • An ecosystem consists of the abiotic (non-living) environment and the organism community that exists within this environment.
  • A producer is a plant, alga, or cyanobacterium that produces sugar via photosynthesis. 
  • In photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water are used to produce oxygen and sugar with the help of solar light energy.
  • A nutrient is a type of chemical substance that plants need to grow.