Food Webs 5-LS2-1

Consumer

Unlike a plant, cannot make its own food, instead it eats other living things. Consumer. A consumer is a living thing that eats plants or other animals to get the energy it needs to live.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organisms and waste, like fungi or bacteria, is called a decomposer. Decomposers help recycle nutrients back into the soil, which helps plants grow.

Food chain

The food energy transfer between organisms in an ecosystem. Food chain. A food chain shows how each living thing gets its food.

Food web

A model of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem. Food web. A food web is a diagram that shows how different plants and animals in an ecosystem are connected through what they eat and who eats them.

Nutrient

A substance that an organism needs to live, like water or minerals. Nutrient. In simple terms, a nutrient is something that helps plants and animals grow and stay healthy.

Producer

Organism that can make its own food, like all plants. Producer. A producer is a living thing, like a plant, that uses sunlight to make its own food.

Trophic level

A step in the food chain or food web trophic level. A trophic level is the position an organism occupies in a food chain, like a plant, herbivore, or predator.