PCAT Review Questions - Pharmacy College

Answer: E, The component that is not a biotic factor is water. While essential to life, water is a biotic factor.

Key Takeaway: Biotic factors are any component of an ecosystem that is a part of or was derived from a living organism. Most contain carbon and are thus capable of decay. Examples other than those above include cotton, wood, bark, and linoleum. Biotic factors have many uses and purposes within the biome, ranging from fossil fuels powering locomotion to straw being used as food for animals.