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[: KSU & JOC :]
 =PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS =

====**Essential question: ** The essential question for this unit is //why is it important to understand how living organisms interact with eachother and their environment?// The answer to this question is quite simple, by understanding how and why these organisms interract with both eachother and their environment, it gives us a better understanding of our world. ====


=  **Producers: ** There are two main types of producers. Chemotrophs, the type that does **not** need sunlight to carry on its life, and phototrophs, the type that **do**. Below are some examples and further explanations of each. =



 * ====**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(69, 237, 215)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(69, 237, 215)">Chemotrophs: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">organisms that use chemical reactions to get their energy. They are catagorized into two groups: autotrophic and heterotrophic.    **====

[[image:http://dearscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/e-coli.jpg width="147" height="179" align="left"]]<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">
====To the left is Escherichia coli, an example of a chemotroph. It is a bacteria commonly found in the lower intestine of warm blooded animals. This bacteria is also know as E. Coli, and can cause food poisoning. It is a chemotroph due to the fact that it is oxidating from the molecules in its environment.====

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(98, 244, 237)">
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====In this picture here, we have red algae. Red algae is an example of an autotrophic phototroph. They use light to obtain their energy. They are simple and photosynthetic plants. They live underwater and have two forms: multicellular and unicellular.====
 * ====**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(98, 244, 237)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(98, 244, 237)">Phototroph: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">an organism that carries out photosynthesis.    **====

<span style="color: rgb(92, 235, 221)"> = = = = = <span style="color: rgb(92, 235, 221)">**Consumers:** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">They are organisms that depend on others for their energy. Often times consumers are referred to as heterotrophs. There are five types of these: Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detrivores, and decomposers. = <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(76, 240, 220)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">  <span style="color: rgb(92, 235, 221)"> ====Zebras are an example of a herbivore. Mainly, they eat grasses, but they also eat shrubs, herbs, twigs, leaves and bark. Unlike most herbivores, zebras have a well suitable digestive system that allows them to eat many items that aren't as nutritional. They are found in numerous habitats, such as grasslands, savannas, woodlands, scrublands, mountains and coastal hills.====
 * ====**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(76, 240, 220)">Herbivore: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">an organism that gets its energy from only plants.  **====


 * ====<span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 247)">**Carnivore:** **organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms.**====

A cheetah is a carnivore. It eats mammals including gazelles, springboks, and impalas. Wildebeests and zebras are taken at times. Guineafowl and hares are also prey to this vicious cats.

 * ====**<span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 193)">Omnivore: an organism that feeds on both plants and animals for their energy.**====

An example of an omnivore would be a crow. They eat both plants and animals. They also eat berries and insects.

 * ====**<span style="color: rgb(37, 248, 217)">Detrivore: organisms that eat dead or decaying matter.**====

====An earthworm is an example of a detrivore. Earthworms tunnel underground by eating dirt and passing it through their bodies. In that dirt, the worm obtains nutrients from decomposing vegetation, like rotting leaves and other organic material.====


 * ====**<span style="color: rgb(57, 239, 206)">Decomposer : organisms that consume, or eat, dead organisms. These organisms are heterotrophic.**====

<span class="shadow" style="background-image: url(�153�)">[[image:http://tn3-1.deviantart.com/fs12/300W/f/2006/331/5/c/Fungi_by_islandtime.jpg width="215" height="139" align="left"]]
====To the left, you see fungi. It is a decomposer because they can use their hyphae to penetrate larger pieces of organic matter. In other words, they are able to decompose materials such a lingin which is found in wood.====

information found from: WIKIPEDIA GOOGLE BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK (also our knowledge)