bacteria, n. pl. Small microscopic organisms without chlorophyll that multiply by simple division, and often obtain nourishment from dead organisms.

bass, n. A spiny-finned carnivorous fish that usually feeds on smaller, fish in lakes or streams, prized as a game fish.

bluegill, n. A small, freshwater fish that has a blue spot on the covering of its gills. Common in ponds and lakes, fun to catch.

carbon dioxide, n. A colorless, odorless gas that is produced by respiration in all living organisms and used by plants in photosynthesis.

carnivore, n. (adj., carnivorous). An animal that kills and eats other animals.

consumer, n. Organism that eats other organisms for food. Carnivores and herbivores are consumers.

crustacean, n. An animal with a rigid body covering or exoskeleton and jointed legs, mostly aquatic, ranging in size from microscopic to crayfish, shrimp, and large lobsters.

chlorophyll, n. A green pigment in plant cells that is essential to the process of photosynthesis.

decomposer, n. An organism that break down dead organisms into basic elements. Bacteria are decomposers.

detritus, n. Bits and pieces of organic matter, plant or animal, found on the ground or on the bottom of a pond.

dragonfly, n. A large, long-bodied insect with narrow, transparent wings often seen around water. Adult dragonflies feed on flying insects, such as mosquitoes. Females lay eggs in ponds and the larvae feed on small aquatic animals.

ecology, n. The branch of biology that studies the relations between organisms and their environment.

ecosystem, n. A group of different kinds of plants and animals living in a well-defined area, including all of the non-living elements that surround them, such as air, water, heat, light, etc.

elodea, n. A flowering plant commonly found submerged in ponds and streams; also commonly used in freshwater aquaria.

energy, n. The capacity to do work.

energy flow, n. The passage of energy from one level in a food chain to another.

environment, n. Everything that surrounds a living organism including all the physical factors as well as other organisms.

evaporate, adj. To change from a liquid form to a gas or vapor.

food chain, n. A sequence of organisms in a community in which one kind feeds on another, etc., such as fox-rabbit-grass.

herbivore, n. An animal that feeds only or chiefly on herbs, grasses, or other vegetable matter.

larva, n. (pl., larvae). The immature stage of an animal that changes form when it becomes adult, like a tadpole changes to a frog.

microscopic, adj. An object so small that it can be seen only with the aid of a microscope or strong magnifying glass.

mineral, n. An inorganic, chemical substance that is necessary for life, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.

mosquito fish, n. A very small fish that feeds on mosquito larvae and other small aquatic animals.

organic, adj. Material that comes from something that once was alive.

oxygen, n. A colorless, odorless gas found in the atmosphere, essential to support life as well as the burning of organic materials.

photosynthesis, n. A chemical reaction occurring in green plants in which carbon dioxide and water, in the presence of chlorophyll and light, combine to produce a carbohydrate and oxygen. In the process, energy is stored in the carbohydrate produced.

plankton, n. pl. Floating, generally microscopic life in a body of water.

plankton net, n. A fine-meshed cloth net used to strain plankton out of pond or ocean water.

producer, n. An organism (a plant) that can create organic molecules from inorganic ones; form the basis of food chains.

protozoan, n. Single-celled, usually free-swimming organism, such as paramecium and amoeba, that is usually found in water.

scavenger, n. Animal that feeds on dead animals or the wastes of animals.

solar radiation, n. Energy that comes from the sun, creating heat and a source of energy for plants to use in photosynthesis.