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Herbivores and carnivores are examples of organisms that obtain carbon and electrons or hydrogen from living organic matter. Chemoorganotrophs are organisms which use the chemical energy in organic compounds as their energy source and obtain electrons or hydrogen from the organic compounds, including sugars (i.e. glucose ), fats and proteins. [ 2 ]
A consumer in a food chain is a living creature that eats organisms from a different population. A consumer is a heterotroph and a producer is an autotroph.Like sea angels, they take in organic moles by consuming other organisms, so they are commonly called consumers.
Herbivory is of extreme ecological importance and prevalence among insects.Perhaps one third (or 500,000) of all described species are herbivores. [4] Herbivorous insects are by far the most important animal pollinators, and constitute significant prey items for predatory animals, as well as acting as major parasites and predators of plants; parasitic species often induce the formation of galls.
For example, increased abundance of herbivores such as deer decrease plant diversity and species richness, [42] while other large mammalian herbivores like bison control dominant species which allows other species to flourish. [43] Plant-herbivore interactions can also operate so that plant communities mediate herbivore communities. [44]
Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients , which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures.
For example, salt provides sodium and chloride, both essential nutrients, but will cause illness or even death in too large amounts. Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate (polysaccharide or oligosaccharide) that is incompletely absorbed in some animals.
Nutritional science is often combined with food science (nutrition and food science). Trophology is a term used globally for nutritional science in other languages, in English the term is dated. Today, it is partly still used for the approach of food combining that advocates specific combinations (or advises against certain combinations) of food.
[82] [83] The digestive systems of herbivores and carnivores are very different as plant matter is harder to digest. Carnivores mouths are designed for tearing and biting compared to the grinding action found in herbivores. [84] Herbivores however have comparatively longer digestive tracts and larger stomachs to aid in digesting the cellulose ...