Which term describes a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring?

Which term describes a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring?

• A. Community
• B. Species
• C. Ecosystem
• D. Population

Answer: (B)

Think about how scientists define a distinct unit of living things based on reproduction. The term that describes a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring is a species. This idea is captured by the idea that members of a species exchange genes with each other and are reproductively isolated from members of other species, so they produce viable, fertile offspring when they mate. A community refers to all the different populations living in the same area, not limited to one species. An ecosystem includes the living organisms plus the physical environment and their interactions. A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area, but the key feature of a species is the reproductive compatibility across the group as a whole, not just geographic coincidence.

Think about how scientists define a distinct unit of living things based on reproduction. The term that describes a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring is a species. This idea is captured by the idea that members of a species exchange genes with each other and are reproductively isolated from members of other species, so they produce viable, fertile offspring when they mate.

A community refers to all the different populations living in the same area, not limited to one species. An ecosystem includes the living organisms plus the physical environment and their interactions. A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area, but the key feature of a species is the reproductive compatibility across the group as a whole, not just geographic coincidence.