Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms - High School

You'll be at the top of the food chain once you master these words related to matter and energy flow in organisms. Explore how energy cycles through ecosystems as you learn about food webs, photosynthesis, autotrophs and heterotrophs, and much more.
55 words 120 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. absorption
    a process in which one substance permeates another
  2. aerobic
    depending on free oxygen or air
  3. air
    the mass of gases surrounding the Earth
  4. algae
    primitive chlorophyll-containing aquatic organisms
  5. amino acid
    organic compounds containing an amino group and acid group
  6. anaerobic
    not using or dependent on oxygen
  7. animal
    a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
  8. ATP
    a nucleotide derived from adenosine that occurs in muscle tissue; the major source of energy for cellular reactions
  9. autotroph
    an organism capable of synthesizing its own food
  10. body temperature
    temperature of the body
  11. carbon dioxide
    a colorless, odorless greenhouse gas essential for photosynthesis
  12. carnivore
    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal
  13. cellular respiration
    the metabolic processes whereby certain organisms obtain energy from organic molecules; processes that take place in the cells and tissues during which energy is released and carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed by the blood to be transported to the lungs
  14. chemical energy
    that part of the energy in a substance that can be released by a chemical reaction
  15. chemical reaction
    a process in which substances are changed into others
  16. chlorophyll
    any of green pigments found in photosynthetic organisms
  17. chloroplast
    organelle in which photosynthesis takes place
  18. compound
    a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements
  19. convert
    change the nature, purpose, or function of something
  20. cycle
    a periodically repeated sequence of events
  21. digestion
    the process by which the body breaks down food
  22. ecosystem
    organisms interacting with their physical environment
  23. energy
    any source of usable power
  24. fermentation
    breaking down an organic substance, as sugar into alcohol
  25. food chain
    community of organisms where each member is eaten by another
  26. food web
    community of organisms with several interrelated food chains
  27. glucose
    a monosaccharide sugar that has several forms
  28. glycolysis
    metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars
  29. growth
    changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
  30. herbivore
    any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants
  31. heterotroph
    an organism that cannot make its own food supply
  32. Krebs cycle
    in all plants and animals, a series of enzymatic reactions in mitochondria involving oxidative metabolism of acetyl compounds to produce high-energy phosphate compounds that are the source of cellular energy
  33. leaf
    the collective amount of leaves of one or more plants
  34. light reaction
    the first stage of photosynthesis during which energy from light is used for the production of ATP
  35. matter
    that which has mass and occupies space
  36. mitochondrion
    part of a cell involved in energy production
  37. molecule
    the simplest structural unit of an element or compound
  38. nutrient
    any substance that can be metabolized to give energy
  39. omnivore
    an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
  40. organelle
    a specialized part of a cell; analogous to an organ
  41. organism
    a living thing that can act or function independently
  42. oxygen
    a colorless, odorless gas that is essential for respiration
  43. phloem
    plant tissue that conducts synthesized food substances
  44. photosynthesis
    formation of compounds in plants aided by radiant energy
  45. phototrophic bacteria
    green and purple bacteria
  46. phytoplankton
    photosynthetic or plant constituent of plankton
  47. plant
    a living organism without the power to move
  48. protein
    an organic compound essential to living cells
  49. respiration
    process converting nutrients into energy in a cell
  50. root
    underground plant organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes
  51. solar energy
    energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy
  52. stem
    a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant
  53. sugar
    an essential structural component of living cells
  54. water
    a liquid necessary for the life of most animals and plants
  55. xylem
    plant tissue that conducts water and dissolved nutrients
Created on Mon Jan 30 19:25:29 EST 2017 (updated Thu Apr 06 09:39:29 EDT 2017)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.