heterotrophy
Eating other organisms
Heterotrophy is the mode of nutrition in which an organism obtains energy by consuming other organisms or organic matter, rather than producing its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
All animals, fungi, and most bacteria are heterotrophs.
The term contrasts with autotrophy, where organisms make their own nutrients from inorganic sources.
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
- food chainEcological feeding hierarchy
- energy flowMovement of power through systems
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
- producerOne who makes things
consumer · decomposer · apex predator · bioaccumulation · energy transfer · carbon cycle
Eating only meat
- herbivoryPlant consumption by animals
- omnivoryEating both meat and plants
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
- scavengingGathering discarded or dead material
One benefits, one suffers
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- hostOne receiving guests
obligate · facultative · pathogen · endoparasite · ectoparasite · brood parasite · symbiont · parasite
Consuming into the body
- digestionBodily food breakdown
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- metabolismCellular nutrient conversion
- catabolismMetabolic molecular dismantling
phagocytosis · filter-feeding · grazing · predation · organic matter · assimilation · gut flora · mastication
Spore-reproducing decomposers
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- protozoaSingle-celled eukaryotic organisms
- animalsMulticellular mobile organisms
- zooplanktonDrifting aquatic microorganisms
carnivores · herbivores · omnivores · detritivores · decomposers · parasites · invertebrates · vertebrates
food web
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
- food chainEcological feeding hierarchy
- energy flowMovement of power through systems
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
producer · consumer · decomposer · apex predator · bioaccumulation · energy transfer · carbon cycle
carnivory
Eating only meat
- herbivoryPlant consumption by animals
- omnivoryEating both meat and plants
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
scavenging · predation · filter-feeding · grazing · browsing
parasitism
One benefits, one suffers
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
host · obligate · facultative · pathogen · endoparasite · ectoparasite · brood parasite · symbiont · parasite · exploitation
ingestion
Consuming into the body
- digestionBodily food breakdown
- absorptionProcess of taking in
- metabolismCellular nutrient conversion
catabolism · phagocytosis · filter-feeding · grazing · predation · organic matter · assimilation · gut flora · mastication · deglutition
fungi
Spore-reproducing decomposers
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- protozoaSingle-celled eukaryotic organisms
- animalsMulticellular mobile organisms
zooplankton · carnivores · herbivores · omnivores · detritivores · decomposers · parasites · invertebrates · vertebrates · archaea