Answer:
A heterotroph is an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients. The term stems from the Greek words hetero for “other” and trophe for “nourishment.”
Organisms are characterized into two broad categories based upon how they obtain their energy and nutrients: autotrophs and heterotrophs.
Heterotrophs are known as consumers because they consume producers or other consumers. Dogs, birds, fish, and humans are all examples of heterotrophs.
Heterotrophs occupy the second and third levels in a food chain, a sequence of organisms that provide energy and nutrients for other organisms. Each food chain consists of three trophic levels, which describe an organism’s role in an ecosystem. Occupying the first trophic level are autotrophs, such as plants and algae. Herbivores—organisms that eat plants—occupy the second level. Carnivores (organisms that eat meat) and omnivores (organisms that eat plants and meat) occupy the third level. Both primary (herbivores) and secondary (carnivores and omnivores) consumers are heterotrophs, while primary producers are autotrophs.
A third type of heterotrophic consumer is a detritivore. These organisms obtain food by feeding on the remains of plants and animals as well as fecal matter. Detritivores play an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem by recycling waste. Examples of detritivores include fungi, worms, and insects.
