Question

All life eventually ends with death. Which organisms in an ecosystem recycle the nutrients trapped in an organism when it dies? What do these organisms do with the nutrients?

a) Scavengers break down the dead organism and return the nutrients to the soil or water.
b) Predators consume the dead organism and convert it into energy.
c) Plants absorb the nutrients from the dead organism and use them for growth.
d) Fungi and bacteria decompose the dead organism and release nutrients back into the environment.

Answer 1

Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria break down the dead organism and release nutrients back into the environment, which can be taken up by plants for growth.

Step-by-step explanation:

Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria are the organisms in an ecosystem that recycle the nutrients trapped in an organism when it dies. These decomposers break down the dead organism and release nutrients back into the environment. The nutrients can then be taken up by plants and used for growth. This nutrient recycling is essential for the stability of the ecosystem.