High School Biology Vocab

A living thing that can move on its own and must eat food to survive

A dog is an animal that needs food, water, and exercise to stay healthy.

The red liquid that flows through the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to all parts

Blood carries oxygen from the lungs to every part of your body.

One of the hard, white structures that form the skeleton inside a person or animal's body

Drinking milk helps keep your bones strong because it contains calcium.

The organ inside your head that controls all body functions and allows you to think, feel, and remember

The brain controls everything your body does, from moving your hand to solving a math problem.

To take air into the lungs and then let it out

We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide without even thinking about it.

The smallest basic unit of life that makes up all living things

Your body is made up of trillions of tiny cells that work together to keep you alive.

The power that living things need to move, grow, and carry out all life activities

We get energy from the food we eat, which helps us think, move, and stay warm.

A series of living things in which each one is eaten by the next one in the series

In a simple food chain, grass is eaten by a rabbit, and the rabbit is eaten by a fox.

To become bigger or more developed over time

Children grow quickly, so they often need new clothes every year.

The organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body

When you exercise, your heart beats faster to send more blood to your muscles.

The flat, usually green part of a plant that captures sunlight to make food

The green leaf on the tree uses sunlight to produce food for the plant.

The series of changes that a living thing goes through from birth to death and reproduction

The life cycle of a butterfly includes four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult butterfly.

Any organism that is alive, can grow, reproduce, and respond to its environment

A tree is a living thing because it grows, needs food, and produces seeds.

One of the two organs inside your chest that you use to breathe air

Smoking cigarettes can seriously damage your lungs and make it hard to breathe.

A body tissue that can tighten and relax to produce movement

Regular exercise helps build strong muscles and keeps your body healthy.

A gas in the air that living things need to breathe in order to survive

Plants produce oxygen, which humans and animals need to breathe and stay alive.

A living thing that usually has leaves and roots, grows in the ground, and makes its own food from sunlight

The plant on our windowsill grows toward the light every day.

The part of a plant that grows underground and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil

The roots of the tree go deep into the ground to find water.

A small object produced by a plant from which a new plant can grow

We planted a seed in the garden and watered it every day until it became a flower.

The outer layer that covers and protects the body of a person or animal

Your skin protects your body from dirt, germs, and harmful sunlight.