Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is option a) Population, which refers to a group of organisms of the same species living and interacting in the same area.
Step-by-step explanation:
A group of all the same type of organism is called a population. This includes organisms of the same species that live in the same area and have interactions with one another. Members of a population can reproduce together, and this population makes up one of the levels of ecological organization. Other levels include community, which is a set of various populations; the ecosystem, which includes both living things and nonliving environmental factors; and the biosphere, representing all zones of life on Earth.
Importantly, a species consists of individuals capable of breeding to produce fertile offspring, whereas a population is more specifically the individuals of the same species within the same area. Ecologists study these populations to understand their health, how they interact with each other, and how they interact with their environment. With this explanation, the answer to the student's question would be option a) Population, because it refers to a group of the same type of organism. Thus, option a) Population is the correct answer.