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Chapter 18
Section 3
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| an organism that can make organic molecules from inorganic molecules; a photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotroph that serves as the basic food source in an ecosystem | producer |
| the production of carbohydrates through the use of energy from inorganic molecules instead of light | chemosynthesis |
| the rate at which organic matter is assimilated by plants and other producers during a period of time over a certain area | gross primary productivity |
| any organic material that has been produced in an ecosystem | biomass |
| the rate at which biomass accumulates in an ecosystem | net primary productivity |
| an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources | consumer |
| an organism that eats only plants | herbivore |
| an organism that eats animals | carnivore |
| an organism that eats a variety of other organisms, including animals and plants | omnivore |
| a consumer that feeds on dead organisms or on the parts or wastes of other organisms | detrivore |
| an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; examples include bacteria and fungi | decomposer |
| an organism's relative position in a sequence of energy transfers in a food chain or food pyramid, examples include producers and primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers | trophic level |
| the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms | food chain |
| a diagram that shows the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem | food web |