Types of Consumers

What does auto- mean? Think of AUTOmobile, AUTObiography, Auto = Self

Prefix hetero- means ‘OTHER’ SUFFIX –Troph means to ‘Nourish’ or ‘To Eat’ What do you think autotroph means? What do you think heterotroph means?

Autotrophs (Producers) → SELF FEED Are organisms that make their own food. They obtain energy through photosynthesis. Ex: Plants, trees, plankton, some bacteria

Heterotrophs (Consumers) Are organisms that feed on producers or other organisms to obtain energy. Ex: Animals

Herbivore (Primary consumer) An herbivore is an animal that gets its energy from eating plants, and only plants. Many herbivores have special digestive systems that let them digest all kinds of plants, including grasses.

Carnivore (Secondary consumer) A carnivore is an animal that eats meat only. Animals that eat other animals, like carnivores and omnivores are important to any ecosystem, because they keep other species from getting overpopulated.

Omnivore (Tertiary consumer) An omnivore is a kind of animal that eats either other animals or plants. Some omnivores will hunt and eat their food, like carnivores, eating herbivores and other omnivores. Eats both autotroph and heterotroph

DECOMPOSERS Decomposers break down dead plants and animals. They also break down the waste of other organisms. Decomposers are very important for any ecosystem. There are two kinds of decomposers, fungi and bacteria.