Question

How do heterotrophs get nutrition?

Answer 1

Heterotrophs:

1. Heterotrophs are those organisms that cannot prepare their food.
2. These organisms depend on other heterotrophs or autotrophs for their food and nutrition.
3. The word heterotroph is a combination of two words- ‘hetero’ which means different or other and ‘trophe’ which means nutrition.
4. Based on the type of food that these heterotrophs get, they are classified into various groups-

1. Herbivores: These are those animals that eat green plants, leaves, bushes, grasses, etc. like cows, deer, rabbits, etc.
2. Carnivores: Carnivores are those animals that feed on other animals, such as lions, tigers, foxes, etc.
3. Omnivores: Omnivores feed on both plant parts and animal meat, it includes humans, bears, etc.
4. Scavengers: The food left behind by the carnivores and herbivores are eaten by the scavengers, like crows, vultures, etc.
5. Decomposers: These organisms break down the dead and decaying plant and animal matters into the soil such as earthworms, mushrooms, etc.