Which statement best matches the definition of a consumer?

Which statement best matches the definition of a consumer?

• A. An organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis
• B. An organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms
• C. An organism that breaks down dead matter and recycles nutrients
• D. An organism that lives in the water and air

Answer: (B)

The main idea is understanding how energy moves through an ecosystem by whether an organism makes its own food or must obtain it by eating others. A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms to obtain energy. This is the defining trait of animals and many other organisms that rely on pre-formed organic material for fuel and carbon. Producers, like plants, make their own food through photosynthesis, so they’re not consumers. Decomposers break down dead matter to recycle nutrients, which is a different role in the ecosystem. So the statement that describes an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms best captures what a consumer is.

The main idea is understanding how energy moves through an ecosystem by whether an organism makes its own food or must obtain it by eating others. A consumer is an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms to obtain energy. This is the defining trait of animals and many other organisms that rely on pre-formed organic material for fuel and carbon. Producers, like plants, make their own food through photosynthesis, so they’re not consumers. Decomposers break down dead matter to recycle nutrients, which is a different role in the ecosystem. So the statement that describes an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other organisms best captures what a consumer is.