The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #4 EARTH - August 2025

PUZZLE #4 - EARTH 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Life: Earth is the only known planet to support life — a diverse range of organisms, from single-celled microbes to complex plants and animals, all sustained by Earth’s unique environment.

Breathable: Earth's atmosphere contains breathable air — primarily nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) — which supports the respiration of humans and most other animals.

Continents: Earth has seven large landmasses called continents (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America) that rise above sea level and host much of its terrestrial life and human civilization.

Plate Tectonics: Plate tectonics is the movement of large plates in Earth’s lithosphere. This dynamic process shapes continents, causes earthquakes and volcanic activity, and plays a crucial role in recycling Earth’s crust.

Habitable Zone: Earth orbits the Sun within the habitable zone — the region around a star where conditions are just right for liquid water to exist on a planet’s surface, making life possible.

Luna: Luna is the Latin name for Earth’s Moon, the only natural satellite of Earth. It affects tides, stabilizes Earth's tilt, and has been a major influence on cultures and science.

Terrestrial: Earth is a terrestrial planet, meaning it has a solid, rocky surface — as opposed to gas giants like Jupiter. It shares this classification with Mercury, Venus, and Mars.

Biosphere: The biosphere encompasses all regions of Earth where life exists — including land, water, and air. It includes every ecosystem and living organism on the planet.

Ecosystems: Ecosystems are communities of living organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environments (like forests, oceans, or deserts). Earth’s ecosystems support biodiversity and maintain life-supporting processes.

Secret Word: a sentient, intelligent species—Homo sapiens—that evolved on Earth.