Biosphere Meaning
/ˈbaɪəʊˌsfɪə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe part of the Earth and its atmosphere capable of supporting life.
nounThe totality of living organisms and their environment.
Sentence Examples
The watercourse is to the biosphere what blood circulation is to a human being.
The word biosphere comes from a Greek word meaning "life globe."
CEFR Practice Quiz
All life on Earth exists within the thin layer known as the ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ includes all the parts of the Earth where life can exist today.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from German Biosphäre, coined by Austrian geologist Eduard Suess in 1875. By surface analysis, bio- + -sphere.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Patavig is the second of the Macedon system's giant terrestrial planets, and by far the more interesting. Most of the surface is covered by a vast sea of liquid ammonia, in which a unique aquatic ammonia-based biosphere has developed. While the frozen continents are largely bereft of life, a rich bounty of complex organisms — many larger than a human — flourish in the chilly, toxic seas."
— 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Patavig:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
All life on Earth exists within the thin layer known as the ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ includes all the parts of the Earth where life can exist today.