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http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/autotrophs-and-heterotrophs.html#lesson

Heterotrophs: Fitting into the Food Chain By: Grace Hahn

Autotrophs

Fitting into the Food Chain

Another kind of heterotroph is fungi. Fungi doesn't actually ingest their food; they absorb it. But, no matter how they get their food, they are all dependent on the autotrophs. So.. as the herbivore consumes the autotroph, and the carnivore consumes the herbivore, and another carnivore consumers that carnivore, energy is moved up the food chain.

How do you get your energy? You get your energy from the food that you eat. How do plants get energy? They make their own food with the help of sunlight. We have learned about producers and consumers. Now we are going to break it down even more.

Autotrophs are considered the producers. Mainly, they are green plants or algae. They use photosynthesis to get energy from the sun. They never have to eat food. All they need is sunlight and water! Since they are producers, they provide food for the consumers. They begin the food chain.

Heterotrophs

What Happens When all of the Autotrophs are not Comsumed?

Herbivore- one who eats only plants

The way that organisms get their energy is separated into two categories, autotrophs and heterotrophs. These big words simply mean, those who can make their own food vs. those who have to eat food. Both of these groups have a high importance in the food chain.

Carnivore- one who eats only meat

Now that we have the beginning the food chain, let's get deeper into it. Heterotrophs get their energy from consuming food from other sources. There are many different categories in the heterotroph family. Some examples are herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.

When consumers die without passing their energy or not all of the autotrophs are consumed, what happens? Their energy is passed to another heterotroph group called decomposers. They are the recyclers of the food chain. They prevent buildup of detritus, and recycle it back into the soil. Some examples are mushrooms, fungi, insects, worms, and bacteria.

Omnivore- one who eats both plants and meat

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