Final answer:
Heterotrophs acquire energy by consuming other organisms. They cannot produce their own energy and rely on those that capture energy from the sun or through chemical means in environments without sunlight.c) Other organisms
Step-by-step explanation:
A heterotroph directly obtains its energy by c. eating other organisms. Heterotrophs are the consumers in the food web, which means they cannot produce their own energy through photosynthesis like plants, algae, and some bacteria (autotrophs). Instead, they rely on consuming organic compounds from other living or once-living organisms to acquire the necessary chemical energy to sustain life. These organisms may consume plants, which are primary producers that capture energy from the sun, or they may eat other heterotrophs, thus obtaining energy indirectly from the sun. In environments lacking sunlight, some heterotrophs can still survive as chemoheterotrophs, which extract energy from chemical sources.