More food chain & trophic pyrimids

Autotroph

Makes its own food (the producer).

Heterotroph

Eats other living things for energy (the consumer).

Producer

Forms the base of the food web by creating its own energy (usually a plant).

Consumer

Feeds on other organisms to get energy.

Primary Consumer

The first consumer; eats producers (a herbivore).

Secondary Consumer

Eats primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumer

Eats secondary consumers (often a top predator).

Carnivore

Eats only animals (meat).

Herbivore

Eats only plants.

Omnivore

Eats both plants and animals.

Detritivore

Eats dead organic matter (helps recycle nutrients).

Trophic Level

An organism's position in a food chain (shows where it gets energy).

Trophic Pyramid

A diagram showing the amount of energy or biomass at each trophic level.

10% Rule

Only about 10% of energy is transferred up when one level eats another (the rest is lost as heat).

Food Chain

A simple, straight path showing energy transfer.

Food Web

A complex network of connected food chains (more realistic).

Biomass

The total weight of living organisms in an area.

Matter

The stuff that makes up all organisms (it is constantly recycled).

Nutrient

Chemical substances an organism needs to survive and grow.

Predator

The organism that hunts and eats another.

Prey

The organism that is hunted and eaten.

Parasite

Lives on or in a host and harms it while benefiting itself.

Host

The organism a parasite lives on/in and gets food from.

Mutualism

A relationship where both organisms benefit.

Commensalism

A relationship where one benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in an ecosystem.