Question

Some consumers, like lions, do not eat plants or any other producers. They only eat other animals.

How do lions obtain the carbon they need?

by eating animals that have carbon-based molecules stored in their bodies
by breathing it in from the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide
by absorbing carbon-based molecules through their skin from the soil
by drinking water that contains carbon dioxide

Answer 1

Correct answer: by eating animals that have carbon-based molecules stored in their bodies.

Lions (heterotrophs) get their carbon by consuming other organisms. The carbon in prey’s proteins, fats and carbohydrates becomes the lions’ building blocks and energy source. Lions cannot fix atmospheric CO2 by breathing it in.