Which term describes the living components of an environment, such as plants and animals?

• A. Abiotic factor
• B. Habitat
• C. Zygote
• D. Biotic factor

Answer: (D)

Living components in an environment are called biotic factors. These are the living parts of an ecosystem—plants, animals, fungi, bacteria—and they interact with nonliving, or abiotic, factors like temperature, water, and soil. Abiotic factors refer to the nonliving elements, so they aren’t describing living organisms. A habitat means the place where an organism lives, which can include both living and nonliving aspects, but it’s not the term for the living components themselves. A zygote is a fertilized egg, not an environmental component. Therefore, the description “living components of an environment, such as plants and animals” fits biotic factor.