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media type="custom" key="1924919" width="108" height="78"   = Circle of Life =  By SalRic

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The organisms in a food chain can be either  **producers**, **consumers**, or  **<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">decomposers .**        ===== <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> ====<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">**Producers** are plants capable of making <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">their own food using energy from sun, air, nutrients, and water in a process called photosynthesis. ====

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">There are two groups of producers: __Chemotrophs__ and __Phototrophs.__
====<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A **Chemotoph** (kē'mō-trŏf') is an organism that manufactures its own food through chemosynthesis instead of photosynthesis. Chemosynthesis is the synthesis of organic compounds within an organism, with chemical reactions providing the energy source. The sulfur-oxidizing bacteria found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and nitrifying bacteria in the soil are chemotrophs. (Chemo = chemical, auto = self, troph = nourishment) ====

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A **Phototrophs** (fō'tə-trŏf', -trōf')
====<span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(photo = light, auto = self, troph = nourishment) Phototrophs use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy for its own benefit. ==== <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> ====**Consumers** are animals that cannot make their own food. They get their energy from other plants and animals. There are five kinds of consmers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, and decomposers.====

====**Herbivores** are consumers that get their energy from only eating plants and no meat. Many herbivores have a special way to digest their food. This digestive system helps them digest all kinds of plants. Herbivores need a lot of energy to stay alive. Animals like cows and sheep eat all day to maintain energy.====

[[image:salric_5.jpg align="left" caption="Cows are an example of a herbivores because they eat plants."]]
====**Carnivores** are consumers that only eat meat to gain energy to live. Carnivores usually eat herbivores, but can eat omnivores, and occasionally other carnivores. Carnivores are important to the ecosystem, because they help keep other species from getting over populatated. A baby tiger is a good example of a carnivore.====

====An ** omnivore ** is a consumer that eats both plants and meat to gain energy to stay alive.The fact that omnivores can eat both plants and animals, they can adapt to many environments. Humans are also omnivores. Our teeth are made to eat plants and animals.====

==== **Detritivors** are consumers that eat decomposing matter to gain energy. Detritvores feed on dead plants, animals, or their waste. Without detritivors dead plants woul not be returned to the soil to grow more soil. ====

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And last but not least is, the decomposers.
====**Decomposers** are consumers that feed on dead organisms to gain energy. Decomposers break down dead plants and animals.They are very important to any ecosystem. Without decomposers, plants would not get their essential nutrients, and other consumers wouldn't be able to gain their energy to live.====

===   It is important to understand how living organisms interact with each other and their environment because we need to know how to protect them and not harm them. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT CAN YOU DO? Where we got our info: [|www.wikipedia.com] [|www.dictionary.com] __ www. qrg.northwestern.edu __  [|www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwepllob.htm]     http://www.ladybird-survey.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Detritiv.htm    ===