Unit 9, Topic 1: Life on Earth Vocabulary

lithosphere / geosphere

• the earth itself including rocks, minerals, and landforms of the surface and interior

• the layer of gases surrounding the planet

• the liquid layer of the earth beneath the crust

• the outermost layer of the earth's atmosphere

system

• a group of parts that work together as a whole

• a single component functioning independently

• a collection of unrelated items

• a temporary arrangement of elements

inhabitable

• suitable to live in; habitable

• not suitable for living; uninhabitable

• a place with abundant resources

• a temporary shelter

sphere

• a layer or system that makes up part of the earth

• a solid figure with all points equidistant from the center

• a flat, two-dimensional shape

• a type of celestial body

atmosphere

• the layer of water surrounding the earth

• the gases surrounding earth, or another planet

• the solid surface of the earth

• the magnetic field of the earth

life

• any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing, excreting, breathing, moving, growing, reproducing, and responding to external stimuli

• a state of being alive characterized by growth and reproduction

• the ability to move and interact with the environment

• a biological process that occurs in living organisms

hydrosphere

• the regions on the surface of the earth that contain water such as lakes, seas, and rivers

• the layer of gases surrounding the planet

• the solid outer part of the Earth

• the area of land that is not covered by water

biosphere

• the regions of the earth occupied by living things

• a layer of the atmosphere

• the core of the Earth

• the surface of the moon

uninhabitable

• suitable for living in

• unsuitable for living in

• a place with abundant resources

• a location with high population density

planet

• a large celestial body that revolves around a star in a fixed orbit, reflecting light from that star

• a small rock that orbits a planet

• a massive star that emits its own light

• a collection of gas and dust in space