is eaten by Fox Consumer Fig. 21 An example of a food chain.
Fig. 21 shows a typical food chain. The grass makes its own food; it does not need to eat anything. It obtains matter from the air, and water and minerals from the soil and it obtains energy from the sun. When the rabbit eats the grass the matter and energy contained in the grass move to the rabbit. When the fox eats the rabbit the matter and energy contained in the rabbit move to the fox. The grass is called the producer. In any food chain, producers are organisms that can make their own food using sunlight by photosynthesis. The rabbit and the fox are called consumers. In any food chain, consumers are organisms that obtain their food by eating other living organisms.
Producers Organisms that make their own food using sunlight by photosynthesis.
Consumers
Dead leaves Producer
Woodlouse Decomposer Blackbird Consumer Fig. 22 An example of a food chain.
obtain their food by eating other living organisms.
In Fig. 22 the dead leaves (the producer) are not living when they are eaten by the woodlouse. The woodlouse is known as a decomposer. A decomposer is an organism that feeds on dead or decaying matter. Many types of bacteria and fungi are decomposers. Bacteria and fungi break down dead matter and make it available for other living organisms to use.
