Ecosystem - A functional unit that consists of all the living organisms in a particular area, as well as the nonliving, physical components in the environment—such as air, soil, water, and sunlight—with which the organisms interact, and how natural and human-made changes affect these interactions.⏎
Gene - The physical and functional unit of heredity made up of DNA. Every individual has two copies of each gene, one inherited from the mother and the other from the father.⏎
Epidemic - An often sudden increase in the level of disease in a specific population over a given period of time.⏎
Climate Change - The process of shifting from one prevailing state in regional or global climate to another. Climate change is typically the preferred term over “global warming” because it helps to convey that the characteristics of climate change are not limited to rising temperatures.⏎
Fertilized Egg - Sometimes referred to as a zygote, this is the resulting initial cell formed when a sperm cell unites with an egg cell.⏎