life-science Vocabulary
JamWise Education Team·Updated March 2026
The life-science strand is a core part of the K-8 science curriculum. It encompasses 128 vocabulary terms that students encounter as they progress from kindergarten through 8th grade. Each term builds on previous knowledge, creating a spiral of deepening understanding that prepares learners for increasingly complex concepts.
Understanding life-science vocabulary is essential for classroom discussions, assessments, and real-world application. Below you will find every term organized by grade level, so teachers and parents can quickly identify which words are appropriate for their students and explore definitions tailored to each developmental stage.
Kindergarten
(11 terms)
Alive
Something alive grows, moves, needs food and water, and can make more of itself.
Animal
An animal is a living thing that moves, eats food, and grows.
Basic needs
Basic needs are things all living things must have to survive: food, water, air, and shelter.
Flower
A flower is the colorful part of a plant that makes seeds.
Grow
To grow means to get bigger over time. Plants and animals grow.
Habitat
A habitat is the place where an animal or plant lives.
Living thing
A living thing grows, needs food and water, and can move on its own.
Nonliving thing
A nonliving thing does not grow, eat, or breathe. A rock is nonliving.
Offspring
An offspring is a baby animal or young plant. A kitten is the offspring of a cat.
Plant
A plant is a living thing that grows in soil and uses sunlight to make its own food.
Senses
Your five senses help you learn about the world: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
1st Grade
(13 terms)
Amphibian
An amphibian is an animal that can live in water and on land. Frogs are amphibians.
Bird
A bird is an animal with feathers, wings, and a beak. Most birds can fly.
Fish
A fish is an animal that lives in water and breathes through gills.
Insect
An insect is a small animal with six legs and three body parts.
Leaf
A leaf is the part of a plant that catches sunlight to make food.
Mammal
A mammal is an animal with fur or hair that feeds milk to its babies.
Nest
A nest is a home that birds build to lay their eggs and raise their babies.
Organism
An organism is any living thing — a plant, an animal, or even a tiny germ.
Reptile
A reptile is an animal with dry, scaly skin. Snakes, lizards, and turtles are reptiles.
Root
A root is the part of a plant that grows underground and soaks up water.
Seed
A seed is a tiny part of a plant that can grow into a new plant.
Shelter
A shelter is a place where an animal lives to stay safe from weather and predators.
Stem
A stem holds up a plant and carries water from the roots to the leaves.
2nd Grade
(17 terms)
Food chain
A food chain shows the order in which living things get energy by eating other living things.
Gills
Gills are the body parts a fish uses to breathe underwater. They take oxygen out of the water.
Habitat
A habitat is the natural home or environment where a plant or animal lives and finds what it needs to survive.
Hibernate
To hibernate means to sleep through the cold winter to save energy.
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. Worms, insects, and jellyfish are invertebrates.
Larva
A larva is the young form of an insect before it changes into an adult. A caterpillar is a larva.
Life cycle
A life cycle is all the stages a living thing goes through from birth to adult.
Life span
A life span is how long a living thing usually lives. A mayfly lives one day; a tortoise can live 150 years.
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a big change in an animal's body as it grows, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
Migrate
To migrate means to move from one place to another when the seasons change.
Pollination
Pollination happens when pollen moves from one flower to another, helping plants make seeds.
Predator
A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals. An eagle is a predator.
Prey
Prey is an animal that is hunted and eaten by other animals. A rabbit can be prey.
Pupa
A pupa is the stage when an insect is inside a case and changing into its adult form.
Seed dispersal
Seed dispersal is how seeds travel away from the parent plant to grow in new places.
Skeleton
A skeleton is the frame of bones inside your body that gives you shape and protects your organs.
Vertebrate
A vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone. Dogs, fish, and birds are vertebrates.
3rd Grade
(19 terms)
Adaptation
An adaptation is a body part or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment.
Camouflage
Camouflage is coloring or patterns that help an animal blend in with its surroundings so it can hide.
Carnivore
A carnivore is an animal that eats only other animals. Lions and hawks are carnivores.
Consumer
A consumer is a living thing that gets energy by eating other living things.
Decomposer
A decomposer is a living thing that breaks down dead plants and animals and returns nutrients to the soil.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living things interacting with the nonliving parts of their environment.
Environment
An environment is everything around a living thing, including air, water, soil, and other organisms.
Extinct
Extinct means a type of plant or animal that has died out and no longer exists anywhere on Earth.
Food chain
A food chain shows how energy passes from one living thing to another when one eats another.
Fossil
A fossil is the remains or mark of a plant or animal that lived long ago, preserved in rock.
Herbivore
A herbivore is an animal that eats only plants. Cows and rabbits are herbivores.
Inherited behavior
An inherited behavior is something an animal knows how to do from birth without being taught, like a spider spinning a web.
Inherited trait
An inherited trait is passed from parents to their babies, like fur color or eye color.
Learned behavior
A learned behavior is something an animal learns to do from experience or by watching others.
Life cycle
A life cycle is all the stages an organism goes through from birth, to growth, to reproduction, and eventually death.
Omnivore
An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and animals. Bears and humans are omnivores.
Producer
A producer is a living thing that makes its own food from sunlight. Plants are producers.
Species
A species is a group of living things that are the same kind and can have babies together.
Trait
A trait is a feature that a living thing has, like eye color, height, or leaf shape.
4th Grade
(12 terms)
Dormancy
Dormancy is when a plant or seed rests and stops growing during unfavorable conditions like winter or drought.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem includes all the living and nonliving things in an area and how they interact with each other.
External structure
An external structure is a body part on the outside of a living thing that helps it survive, like skin, feathers, or thorns.
Food web
A food web shows how many food chains in an ecosystem overlap and connect.
Internal structure
An internal structure is a body part inside a living thing that helps it survive, like a skeleton or heart.
Microscopic
Microscopic means too small to see with just your eyes. Bacteria and cells are microscopic.
Nutrient
A nutrient is a substance that living things need to grow and stay healthy. Plants get nutrients from soil.
Organism
An organism is any individual living thing, from a tiny bacterium to a giant whale.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process plants use to make food from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
Reproduce
To reproduce means to make new living things of the same kind. Animals have babies and plants make seeds.
Resource
A resource is something an organism needs to live, such as food, water, shelter, or space.
Sense receptor
A sense receptor is a part of the body that detects information from the environment, like eyes, ears, or skin.
5th Grade
(18 terms)Carnivore
A carnivore is an animal that eats only other animals.
Cell
A cell is the smallest unit of life. All living things are made of one or more cells.
Community
A community is all the different populations of organisms living together in the same area.
Competition
Competition happens when organisms struggle against each other for the same resources like food, water, or space.
Decomposer
A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem includes all the living things and nonliving things in an area and how they interact.
Energy pyramid
An energy pyramid shows how energy decreases at each level of a food chain. Producers have the most energy.
Food chain
A food chain shows the path of energy from the sun to producers to consumers in an ecosystem.
Food web
A food web shows the many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
Herbivore
A herbivore is an animal that eats only plants.
Inherited trait
An inherited trait is a characteristic passed from parents to offspring through genes, like eye color or leaf shape.
Multicellular
Multicellular means made of many cells working together. Plants and animals are multicellular.
Omnivore
An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and animals.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugar and release oxygen.
Population
A population is all the members of one species living in the same area.
Predator
A predator is an animal that hunts, catches, and eats other animals for food.
Prey
Prey is an animal that is hunted and eaten by a predator.
Unicellular
Unicellular means made of just one single cell. Bacteria and amoebas are unicellular.
6th Grade
(15 terms)
Abiotic
Abiotic describes the nonliving parts of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, temperature, and soil.
Autotroph
An autotroph is an organism that makes its own food, usually through photosynthesis. Plants and some bacteria are autotrophs.
Biotic
Biotic describes the living parts of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.
Cell
A cell is the basic unit of structure and function in all living things.
Cell theory
Cell theory states that all living things are made of cells, cells are the basic units of life, and all cells come from existing cells.
Community
A community is all the different populations of organisms sharing a specific area.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is all the living populations in an area interacting with the nonliving parts of that environment.
Eukaryote
A eukaryote is an organism whose cells have a nucleus enclosed in a membrane. Animals, plants, and fungi are eukaryotes.
Food web
A food web is a model showing the complex network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Heterotroph
A heterotroph is an organism that cannot make its own food and must eat other organisms for energy.
Nucleus
The nucleus is the control center of a cell that contains DNA and directs the cell's activities.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen.
Population
A population is all the members of one species living in a particular area at a particular time.
Prokaryote
A prokaryote is a simple single-celled organism that does not have a nucleus. Bacteria are prokaryotes.
Respiration
Cellular respiration is the process by which cells break down glucose in the presence of oxygen to release energy, producing carbon dioxide and water.
7th Grade
(32 terms)
Active transport
Active transport is the movement of molecules across a cell membrane using energy, from low concentration to high concentration.
Allele
An allele is one of the different forms of a gene. For example, a gene for flower color may have a purple allele and a white allele.
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction involves only one parent and produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent.
Biome
A biome is a large region of Earth characterized by its climate, plants, and animals.
Cell membrane
The cell membrane is a thin, flexible barrier that surrounds a cell and controls what enters and leaves.
Cell wall
The cell wall is a rigid outer layer found in plant cells that provides structure and support.
Cellular respiration
Cellular respiration is the process by which cells break down glucose using oxygen to release energy (ATP), carbon dioxide, and water.
Chloroplast
A chloroplast is an organelle found in plant cells that captures sunlight energy and uses it to make food through photosynthesis.
Chromosome
A chromosome is a tightly coiled structure of DNA that contains genes. Human cells have 46 chromosomes.
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm is the gel-like fluid inside a cell that holds the organelles in place.
Diffusion
Diffusion is the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
DNA
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule inside cells that carries the genetic instructions for building and running an organism.
Dominant trait
A dominant trait is a trait that appears in the offspring when at least one dominant allele is present.
Ecology
Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment.
Food web
A food web is a diagram showing the complex network of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
Gene
A gene is a segment of DNA that carries the instructions for making a specific protein or trait.
Heredity
Heredity is the passing of traits from parents to offspring through genes.
Homeostasis
Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain stable internal conditions even when the external environment changes.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are organelles that break down food molecules to release energy for the cell. They are called the powerhouses of the cell.
Mitosis
Mitosis is the process by which a cell divides its nucleus to produce two identical daughter cells.
Niche
A niche is the specific role an organism plays in its ecosystem, including what it eats, where it lives, and how it interacts with other species.
Organ
An organ is a structure made of different tissues working together to perform a specific job in the body.
Organ system
An organ system is a group of organs that work together to perform a major body function.
Osmosis
Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane from an area with more water to an area with less water.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some bacteria use sunlight energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
Recessive trait
A recessive trait only appears when an organism has two copies of the recessive allele.
Ribosome
A ribosome is a tiny organelle that reads genetic instructions and builds proteins for the cell.
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction involves two parents combining genetic material to produce offspring with a unique mix of traits.
Succession
Succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time after a disturbance.
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is a close, long-term relationship between two different species living together.
Tissue
A tissue is a group of similar cells working together to perform a specific function.
Vacuole
A vacuole is a large sac inside a cell that stores water, food, and waste materials.
8th Grade
(18 terms)Adaptation
An adaptation is an inherited trait that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of different species of organisms in an ecosystem or on Earth.
Carrying capacity
Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support with its available resources.
Common ancestor
A common ancestor is an organism from which two or more different species evolved.
Evolution
Evolution is the gradual change in the characteristics of a population of organisms over many generations.
Fossil evidence
Fossil evidence is the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms that scientists use to understand the history of life on Earth.
Genetic variation
Genetic variation refers to the differences in DNA among individuals of a species, which can lead to different traits.
Genotype
A genotype is the combination of alleles an organism has for a specific trait, written with letters like Bb or tt.
Limiting factor
A limiting factor is any resource or condition that restricts the growth of a population, such as food, water, or space.
Meiosis
Meiosis is the type of cell division that produces sex cells (eggs and sperm) with half the normal number of chromosomes.
Mutation
A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a gene that may create a new trait in an organism.
Natural selection
Natural selection is the process where organisms with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Phenotype
A phenotype is the observable physical characteristic of an organism, determined by its genotype and environment.
Punnett square
A Punnett square is a diagram used to predict the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring from a genetic cross.
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is when humans choose organisms with desired traits to reproduce, producing offspring with those traits.
Species
A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is a close, long-term interaction between two species that live in direct contact.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of classifying organisms into groups based on shared characteristics.