Final answer:
A population in biology is a group of organisms of the same species in a given area who interbreed and produce fertile offspring. This concept is fundamental to population ecology and is crucial for understanding the dynamics of species and their interactions within ecosystems.option c is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
A population consists of all the individual organisms of the same species that live in the same area and have the potential to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring. It is imperative for the individuals to be genetically related and be capable of reproduction that results in fertile young to be considered part of one population. Populations are an integral part of population ecology, which delves into understanding their size, density, dispersion, and the rate at which they change over time within a specific habitat or geographical range.
For instance, all of the angelfish residing in one section of the ocean would form the angelfish population. This population can be identified by where it lives, which can be limited by natural boundaries like rivers or mountains, or artificial ones such as roads or manmade structures. Moreover, ecologists study the interaction of populations within a community, which includes all the different species living and interacting in one area. When similar organisms in the same habitat are unable to reproduce and have fertile offspring, they are classified as separate species and thereby separate populations.