Population - GCSE Biology Definition

Reviewed by: Naomi Holyoak

Last updated

What is a population?

In GCSE biology a population is a group of organisms of the same species living in an area at one time. Individuals living in the same population are usually able to breed together, meaning that genes are exchanged between members of a population.

Populations interact with other species in their habitat, forming a community of living organisms that is also affected by non-living (abiotic) factors in the environment. Some factors may contribute to population growth, e.g. an increase in food availability would decrease death rates and increase reproduction, resulting in a growing population, while other factors, such as disease, may cause a population to shrink.

Biologists can study populations of living organisms using sampling techniques such as quadrats and transects.

Populations revision resources to ace your exams

You can learn more about populations in our GCSE biology revision notes:

Meet all your GCSE biology revision needs, improve your grades, and boost your confidence using revision resources from Save My Exams. This includes revision notes, videos, flashcards and exam questions with student-friendly mark schemes.

GCSE Biology Revision Resources

Need help reaching your target grade? Explore our notes, questions by topic and worked solutions, tailor-made for GCSE Biology.

Explore GCSE Biology

Share this article

Naomi Holyoak

Reviewer: Naomi Holyoak

Expertise: Biology Content Creator

Naomi graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in Biological Sciences. She has 8 years of classroom experience teaching Key Stage 3 up to A-Level biology, and is currently a tutor and A-Level examiner. Naomi especially enjoys creating resources that enable students to build a solid understanding of subject content, while also connecting their knowledge with biology’s exciting, real-world applications.

The examiner written revision resources that improve your grades 2x.

Join now