Which term describes non-living environmental components like climate that affect organisms?

• A. Biotic factors
• B. Climatic factors
• C. Biosphere
• D. Conservation

Answer: (B)

Non-living environmental influences on living organisms are climatic factors. These describe how the physical conditions of the environment, particularly the climate, shape where organisms can survive and how they function. Climate encompasses patterns of temperature, rainfall, humidity, light, and seasonal changes that organisms must cope with. Because these factors come from the environment itself and are not caused by other living beings, they’re categorized as climatic (non-living) influences on organisms. In contrast, living components of the environment are called biotic factors, which include predators, parasites, and competitors. The broader idea of the biosphere covers all life on Earth, and conservation is about protecting ecosystems, not describing environmental influences. So climatic factors are the best term for non-living environmental components like climate that affect organisms.