Question

Organisms are divided into three nourishment groups in the food chain:

a) Producers, consumers, decomposers
b) Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
c) Autotrophs, heterotrophs, saprotrophs
d) Primary, secondary, tertiary consumers

Answer 1

Organisms within an ecosystem are categorized as producers, consumers (including herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores), and decomposers. Producers like plants and phytoplankton are at the food chain's base, while consumers obtain energy by eating other organisms. Humans are generally considered omnivores and heterotrophs. The correct option is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an ecosystem, organisms are grouped based on their roles in the food chain. At the base are producers, such as plants and phytoplankton that perform photosynthesis to produce their own food. The next group comprises consumers who cannot make their own food and must consume other organisms to obtain energy. Consumers are further categorized based on their diet into:

• Herbivores (primary consumers) - animals that eat producers like plants.
• Carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers) - these include animals that eat herbivores or other carnivores.
• Omnivores - organisms that consume both plants and animals.

Beyond the producers and consumers are decomposers, which recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem by breaking down dead organisms and organic waste.

Humans, for instance, are classified as heterotrophs and typically as omnivores, consuming both plant and animal matter.