Biotic means relating to, produced by, or caused by living organisms.
Abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment. Despite being non-living, abiotic components can impact evolution. Things that were once living but now dead are usually considered biotic (for example, corpses and spilled blood). However, depending upon the definition, components from living things that are no longer living can be considered part of the biotic or abiotic component. Generally, things that were once living are considered part of the biotic component, but body waste such as feces, urine (and carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water from respiration) are considered abiotic because those components were never living in an organism.
The interaction of these living and non-living components determines the characteristics of the biome. Temperature and precipitation are the two most important abiotic factors that influence the characteristics and distribution of biomes on Earth.
Latitude and elevation can also influence the characteristics and distribution of biomes because they affect temperature and precipitation. This animation shows how latitude gives us seasons.
Terrestrial refers to things having to do with the land or the Earth. In science 10 we focus on the terrestrial biomes
An adaptation is a variation of structure, physiology or behavior that aids the organism's survival in its particular environment. Click here for examples of some of the many adaptations.
This link will let you download the Power Point presentation we looked at in class called Biomes