Biology Word Search is a word search puzzle using glossary terms associated with middle school biology courses. These biology topics include words dealing with living systems, genetics, the cell, and the environment.
The words can be found running left/right, up/down and diagonally within the array of letters. Word searches can be a fun way to introduce many of the terms a student will encounter in their first class involving the life science of biology.
Click the image to view a full-sized version of the puzzle optimized to fit on a single sheet of paper. For better printing quality, downloading the PDF of the biology word search is best alternative.
If you have trouble finding a particular term, feel free to take a peek at the completed solved word search (or you could download the PDF of the solution).
Biology Word Search Terms
This is a list of the words appearing in the Biology Word Search and quick definitions of each term.
aerobic – process that occurs when oxygen is present
anaphase – Stage of cell division when the chromosomes separate to each side of a cell
bacteria – kingdom of single cell living things with no cell membrane or nucleus
biology – study of life
biome – geographic region with common flora and fauna with a singular climate
cancer – disease caused by the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a body
Carbon Cycle – series of chemical processes involving the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide
cell – basic functional unit of living organisms separated from the environment by a plasma membrane
chloroplast – organelle found in plants which absorb sunlight to drive photosynthesis
chromosome – a threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in cell nuclei
climate – weather patterns of a geographic location over a long period of time
clone – an organism genetically identical to another organism or the process of creating genetic replicas of an organism or cell
community – a collection of lifeforms living and interacting together over a geographical area
differentiation – process where offspring cells become separate from their parent cells
diversity – abundance and distribution of different animal and plant communities within a system or geographic area
embryology – branch of biology dealing with the formation and development of living organisms from previous generations
endocytosis – process where cells absorb larger particles by surrounding them with their membrane
eukaryote – an organism with cells containing a true nucleus
evolution – process by which organisms develop and diversify over time
family – classification group above genus and below order
fungi – kingdom of life consisting of eukaryotic organisms which produce their own energy
gametes – cells responsible for the reproduction of life
gene – basic discrete unit of heredity
genus – classification group below family and above species
hereditary – transmission of properties and characteristics from parents to offspring
immunity – ability of an organism to completely fight off a disease
lysosome – organelle of a cell responsible for processing food into waste within the cell
microorganism – life observable only under a microscope
mutation – a change within the DNA that increases genetic diversity
order – classification group below class and above family
organelle – part of a eukaryotic cell suspended in the cell’s cytoplasm which performs a specialized function
organism – individual living thing
phenotype – physical and physiological traits of an organism
photosynthesis – series of chemical processes where light energy is converted into chemical energy occurring in plants, algea, and some prokaryotes
phylum – classification group below kingdom and above class
prokaryote – a type of single-celled organism with no defined cell nucleus.
protein – a polymer of amino acids
survive – an organism that lives to the next generation
virus – a non-cellular mass composed of a nucleic acid and protein coat which reproduces within a host cell