| HUMUS | Organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter (5) |
| HUMIC | Of, or relating to, natural organic compounds in the soil, formed from the decomposition of plant and animal residues (5) |
| ANTHILLS | Mounds of soil formed by insects of the family Formicidae (8) |
| CO | A heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substan |
| KAOLIN | Fine white clay produced by the decomposition of feldspar and other minerals, used to make porcelain and bone china (6) |
| TIRES | Pyrolysis is the chemical decomposition of carbon-based materials, and it can help break down _____, which are a significant environmental burden in landfills (5) |
| METHANE | A greenhouse gas emitted by the decomposition of landfill waste (7) |
| BIOME | Community of plant and animal life |
| OMNIVORE | Any animal of a species that eats and digests both plant and animal matter (8) |
| EPIGEIC | ___ earthworms live on the soil surface feeding on rotting plant and animal matter. |
| ELECTROLYSIS | The decomposition of a substance by the application of an electric current |
| LYSIS | Decomposition of a cell |
| FIREDAMP | Mixture of gases, chiefly methane, which occurs from the decomposition of coal (8) |
| LOAM | Soil composed of clay and sand, with vegetable and animal matter (4) |
| COAL | Black or brown combustible mineral formed by decomposition of organic matter and used as fuel |
| OSSEIN | Organic component of bone, chiefly made up of collagen (6) |
| CYTOLOGY | Scientific study of the structure, functions etc. of plant and animal cells (8) |
| BIODIVERSITY | The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat (12) |
| TAPHONOMY | Branch of palaeontology concerned with the processes of plant and animal fossilisation (9) |
| HISTOLOGY | Study of the microscopic structures of plant and animal tissue, also known as microanatomy (9) |
