Which term describes an organism that obtains energy and nutrients by eating other organisms?

Which term describes an organism that obtains energy and nutrients by eating other organisms?

• A. Heterotroph
• B. Autotroph
• C. Photosynthesis
• D. Chemosynthesis

Answer: (A)

Heterotroph describes an organism that obtains energy and nutrients by eating other organisms. This fits because heterotrophs rely on preformed organic molecules from other living things rather than making their own from inorganic sources. Autotrophs, in contrast, produce their own organic matter—often using light in photosynthesis or chemical energy in chemosynthesis. The terms photosynthesis and chemosynthesis refer to the methods some organisms use to acquire energy, not to the organisms themselves.

Heterotroph describes an organism that obtains energy and nutrients by eating other organisms. This fits because heterotrophs rely on preformed organic molecules from other living things rather than making their own from inorganic sources. Autotrophs, in contrast, produce their own organic matter—often using light in photosynthesis or chemical energy in chemosynthesis. The terms photosynthesis and chemosynthesis refer to the methods some organisms use to acquire energy, not to the organisms themselves.