Terms you should know and use

Algae (AL jee)- Plant-like protists that live in water and contain chlorophyll. They produce oxygen and their own food.

Bacteria (bac TEER ee a)–Microscopic single-celled organisms that exist everywhere.

Conclusion-The summary of an experiment, based on data.

Control – A part of the experiment that is unchanged.

Culture – To grow microorganisms in a specially prepared nutrient medium i.e. growing mold on bread, your bread is your nutrient medium.

Decomposer -An organism, often a bacterium or fungus, that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter. experiment – A series of steps to find the answer to a question.

Fungi (FUN ji) – Organisms that are neither plant nor animals, but have characteristics of both and absorb food from whatever they are growing on.

Hypothesis (hy PAW thuh suhs) – An idea or question that can be tested.

Investigation – A process designed to answer a question.

Microorganism – A living thing that can only be seen with the aid of magnification.

Organism- Any living thing.

Protozoan (PRO to zo uhn) - A single-celled animal-like organism that often lives in ponds.

Producer – A living thing, like a green plant, that makes its food from simple substances and sunlight.

Single-celled organism – Any organism that has only one cell, the smallest unit of life.

Variable – A part of an experiment that is changed.