3.2 Feeding Relationships Flashcards
Autotroph (Autotrophic)
An organism that can capture the energy in light or chemicals and use it to produce carbohydrates from simple molecules such as carbon dioxide
Chemosynthesis (Chemosynthetic)
The production of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using the energy derived from reactions with inorganic chemicals
Heterotroph (Heterotrophic)
An organism that cannot make its own food and instead relies on consuming other organisms; all animals, fungi and protozoans are heterotrophic, as well as most bacteria
Primary Productivity
The rate of production of new biomass through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
Food chain
A way to describe the feeding relationships between organisms
Herbivore
An animal which feeds only on producers (plants or phytoplankton)
Carnivore
An animal which feeds on other animals
Predator
An animal which hunts, kills, and eats other animals
Prey
An animal which is eaten by predators
Omnivore
An animal which feeds on other animals and on producers
Decomposers
Bacteria and fungi which break down dead organic matter and release the nutrients back into the environment
Food Web
A way to show all the different feeding relationships in an ecosystem
Biomass
The mass of living material in an area; it can be measured as dry mass (without the water) or wet mass (with the water)
Trophic Level
The position an organism occupies in the food chain or food web
Apex Predator
An organism at the end of the food chain which has no natural predators
