biotic

Definition

The fancy scientific way of saying "relating to living things," because apparently "alive" was too simple for biology textbooks. This term distinguishes life-related factors from abiotic (non-living) elements in ecosystems. Ecologists use it to sound impressive when they're really just talking about plants, animals, and microorganisms doing their thing.

Example Usage

The researcher analyzed both biotic factors like predator populations and abiotic factors like soil pH in the forest ecosystem.

Source: Biology terminology

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