Explore cells and the specialized structures that carry out cell functions such as energy production, waste disposal, synthesis of new molecules and the storage of genetic material. Examines how matter and energy are organized in living systems and how they help the organism adapt to its environment. Genetics: The instructions specifying the characteristics of all organisms, whether plant or animal, are carried in DNA. Details how scientists are working to unlock the mysteries of DNA in order to better understand how organisms develop their structure. Explains how plants and animals compete and cooperate in their environment, resulting in what is often described as a “balance of nature” within an ecosystem. Biomes are zones created by physical geographic and climatic conditions in different regions of the Earth.