Basics in Ecology

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3711476/Basics_in_Ecology

That link is to a word cloud of the basic terms in ecology.

Here, I will define each of them to demonstrate my general understanding.

Autotroph: organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances like carbon dioxide
Prokaryote: single-celled organism that doesn't have a defined nucleus with a membrane or any specialized organelles
Photoautotroph: organism that can synthesize its own food from inorganic material using light as a source of energy
Herbivore: animal that feeds on plants
Omnivore: animal that feeds on plants and other animals
Carnivore: animal that feeds on other animals
Food Web: system of interlocking and interdependent food chains
Food Chain: a hierarchical series of organisms, each dependent on the next as a source of food
Key Stone Species: a species on which other species in the ecosystem largely depend on
Photosynthesis: process by which green plants and other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water
Eukaryote: an organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA in the form of chromosomes contained with in a distinct nucleus.
Chemoautotroph: organism that derives energy from the oxidation of inorganic compounds
Instar: a phase between two periods of molting in the development of an insect larva or other invertebrate animal

That sums up the basics of ecology!