Which term describes an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients?

• A. Decomposer
• B. Heterotroph
• C. Producer
• D. Consumer

Answer: (B)

Organisms that must obtain energy and nutrients by consuming other organisms are heterotrophs. They cannot make their own food, so they rely on eating living plants or animals to get the energy and carbon they need. Producers, on the other hand, make their own food using sunlight or chemical energy, so they don’t fit this description. Decomposers break down dead matter, which is a different mode of obtaining nutrients, and while they are heterotrophs, the prompt’s focus on eating living organisms aligns most directly with the general category of heterotrophs. Consumers describes the act of eating but is a broader term; heterotroph specifically defines organisms that must obtain energy and nutrients by consuming others.