consumer organism
consumer organism In the widest sense, a heterotrophic organism that feeds on living or dead organic material. Two main categories are recognized:
a. macroconsumers, mainly animals (herbivores, carnivores, and detritivores), which wholly or partly ingest other living organisms or organic particulate matter
; and
b. micro-consumers, mainly bacteria and fungi, which feed by breaking down complex organic compounds in dead protoplasm, absorbing some of the decomposition products, and at the same time releasing inorganic and relatively simple organic substances to the environment. Sometimes the term ‘consumer’ is confined to macroconsumers, microconsumers being known as ‘decomposers’. Consumers may then be termed ‘primary’ (herbivores), ‘secondary’ (herbivore-eating carnivores), and so on, according to their position in the foodchain. Macroconsumers are also sometimes termed phagotrophs or biophages, while microconsumers correspondingly are termed saprotrophs or saprophages. Compare PRODUCER.
a. macroconsumers, mainly animals (herbivores, carnivores, and detritivores), which wholly or partly ingest other living organisms or organic particulate matter
; and
b. micro-consumers, mainly bacteria and fungi, which feed by breaking down complex organic compounds in dead protoplasm, absorbing some of the decomposition products, and at the same time releasing inorganic and relatively simple organic substances to the environment. Sometimes the term ‘consumer’ is confined to macroconsumers, microconsumers being known as ‘decomposers’. Consumers may then be termed ‘primary’ (herbivores), ‘secondary’ (herbivore-eating carnivores), and so on, according to their position in the foodchain. Macroconsumers are also sometimes termed phagotrophs or biophages, while microconsumers correspondingly are termed saprotrophs or saprophages. Compare PRODUCER.
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Saprophage , saprophage An organism that consumes other, dead, organisms. Saprophages form part of the twofold division of the heterotrophs (organisms that feed o… Biophage , biophage See consumer organism.
biophage See CONSUMER ORGANISM.
biophage See CONSUMER ORGANISM. Decomposer , decomposer An organism that obtains energy from the chemical breakdown of dead organisms or animal or plant wastes. Decomposers, most of which are ba… Biotic Factor , An ecosystem is a community of organisms that interact with each other and with the abiotic and biotic factors in their environment. Abiotic factors… Organism , An organism is any complete, individual living thing. As a living thing, an organism necessarily has certain attributes or displays certain character… Consumer Product Safety Act , Consumer protection laws are federal and state statutes governing sales and credit practices involving consumer goods. Such statutes prohibit and reg…
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consumer organism