Taj incorrectly states that autotrophs are also known as consumers that need to feed on other organisms, including plants and animals, to gain energy. Which of the following best describes consumers that feed on other organisms such as plants and animals for energy?(

1 answer

The statement that autotrophs are consumers is incorrect. Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food, primarily through photosynthesis (in the case of plants) or chemosynthesis (in the case of some bacteria). Consumers, on the other hand, are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must obtain energy by feeding on other organisms.

Consumers that feed on other organisms, including plants and animals, are best described as heterotrophs. Heterotrophs include herbivores (which eat plants), carnivores (which eat animals), and omnivores (which eat both plants and animals).