Detritivores and Decomposers Notes

Detritivores vs. Decomposers

Scavengers

• Tend to follow predators and eat their leftovers.

• Eat animals that have been killed by other predators.

• Do not usually eat things that are rotting or long dead.

How Decomposers Feed

• Decomposers, like fungi, secrete digestive enzymes.

• These enzymes break down complex organic matter into simple substances.

Fungi - Efficient Decomposers

• Fungi feed on dead organic matter and convert it into simple substances.

• They secrete digestive enzymes to break down complex organic matter.

• Fungal Structure:

  • Sporangium

  • Spores

  • Hyphae

  • Mycelium

Importance of Decomposers

• Without decomposers, dead bodies and waste material would pile up on Earth.

• Decomposers break down dead bodies and waste, making it possible for the atoms in them to be reused by other organisms.

Energy Flow and Chemical Cycling in Ecosystems

• Energy flows THROUGH ecosystems (open system).

• Nutrients cycle WITHIN ecosystems (closed system).

• Diagram:

  • Producer (primary producer)

  • Herbivore (primary consumer)

  • Carnivore (secondary consumer)

  • Detritivores (decomposers)

Example Question

• A photograph shows a fungus growing on horse dung (faeces).

  • What name do we give to organisms like this fungus, that break down organic matter?

  • Describe how the fungus breaks down the horse dung.

  • Explain why organisms that break down waste materials are important in a habitat.