biosphere
noun
Did you know?
The lithosphere is the solid surface of the earth (lith- meaning "rock"); the hydrosphere is the earth's water (hydro- means "water"), including the clouds and water vapor in the air; and the atmosphere is the earth's air (atmos- meaning "vapor"). The term biosphere can include all of these, along with the 10 million species of living things they contain. The biosphere recycles its air, water, organisms, and minerals constantly to maintain an amazingly balanced state; human beings should probably do their best to imitate it. Though the word has a new sound to it, it was first used over a hundred years ago.
Example Sentences
Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2022 The article then goes on to predict the imminent collapse of our biosphere. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 21 July 2022 Many are experimenting, often at the community level, trying to find their own pathways towards that balance of well-being within a healthy biosphere. Wired, 7 July 2022 Fashion is a full spectrum industry running across the globe, touching billions of lives and reliant on a healthy biosphere. Sydney Odman, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2022 The biosphere is the part of Earth occupied by living organisms. Kendra Pierre-louis, The Atlantic, 4 May 2022 Practically every president and athletic director pleaded for patience, explaining college sports operate in a unique biosphere, some of it unregulated, some of it highly regulated by federal legislation mandating gender equity. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2022 In its scale and complexity, the technosphere is almost as awesome to contemplate as the biosphere. Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022 The smaller island, around 50 square miles, is a UN biosphere. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
borrowed from German Biosphäre, from bio- bio- + -sphäre -sphere
Note: Biosphäre was introduced by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess (1831-1914) in Die Entstehung der Alpen (Vienna, 1875), p. 159.
1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
biosphere
noun