Vocab 3.2 Flashcards
organism that captures energy from light or chemicals and uses it to make food from inorganic compounds; also known as an autotroph
Producer
process where plants and some other organism use light energy to make their own energy by converting water and carbon dioxide into oxygen, high-energy carbohydrates, sugars and starches
Photosynthesis
process of using chemical energy to produce carbohydrates, used by some bacteria, and other organisms
Chemosynthesis
organism that gets energy from the food it eats, also known as a consumer
Heterotroph
organism dependent on other organisms for food and energy, also known as a heterotroph
Consumer
organism that only eats and receives energy from plants
Herbivore
organism that eats animals as a form of energy
Carnivore
organism that eats plants and animals as a way of obtaining energy
Omnivore
organism that obtains energy by eating dead matter, as well as plant and animal remains
Detritivore
organism that obtains energy by breaking down dead organic matter
Decomposer
steps in an ecosystem where organisms transfer energy by eating other organisms or being eaten
Food chain
a system of complex interactions through the feeding relationships between many different organisms in an ecosystem
Food web
in a food chain or food web, this is a step
Trophic level
diagram that shows amounts of matter or energy in each specific trophic level through food webs or food chains
Ecological pyramid
the total amount of living tissue in a certain trophic level
Biomass
