4.1 Heterotrophs

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11 Terms

1
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what are heterotrophs

an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients (to obtain organic molecules)

2
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types of heterotrophs

  • consumers
  • saprotroph
  • detritivores
  • scavengers
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what is a consumer

heterotrophs that feed on living organisms by ingestion

  • herbivores (plant;cow, sheep)
  • carnivores (animal; wolves, tigers)
  • omnivores (both; pandas, humans)
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what is a scavenger

type of consumer that principally feed on dead and decaying carcasses rather than hunting live prey

  • hyenas, vultures, carrions birds (crows)
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what is a detritivore

type of heterotroph that obtains nutrients from non-living organic sources, such as detritus and humus

  • snail, millipede, crab
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what is detritus

dead, particulate organic matter – such as decaying organic material and faecal matter

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what is humus

term given specifically to the decaying leaf litter intermixed within the topsoil

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what is a saprotroph

  • heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion
  • live on (or in) non-living organic matter, secrete digestive enzymes into it and absorb the products of digestion
  • bacteria, fungi
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why are saprotrophs unlike other heterotrophs

do not ingest food but use enzymatic secretion to facilitate external digestion

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what are saprotrophs commonly referred to as and why

they are commonly referred to as decomposers

because they facilitate the breakdown of dead organic material

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what are heterotrophs commonly referred to as

consumer