What are decomposers?

(a) Autotrophs

(b) Autoheterotrophs

(c) Organotrophs

(d) heterotrophs/2025/07/15/

A heterotroph is an organism that cannot make its own food through carbon fixation. Instead, it depends on other sources of organic carbon, mainly plants or animals, for nutrition. In a food chain, heterotrophs act as secondary or tertiary consumers.

Decomposers are a type of heterotroph that feed on dead and decaying matter. They are specifically saprotrophs, breaking down organic residues by secreting digestive enzymes outside their body. Decomposers are also called reducers because they degrade organic material and mineralizers because they release minerals locked in organic remains.

Additional Information

• Autotrophs: Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic materials. The word comes from “auto” (self) and “troph” (food). They can sustain themselves without external organic sources.
• Organotrophs: Organisms that obtain hydrogen or electrons from organic substrates, often used in microbiology to describe species based on their respiration processes. Many organotrophs, such as cattle and certain bacteria, are also heterotrophs.

Correct Answer: Heterotroph