Food Webs and Trophic Levels

The Greek work "trophikos" means ________________.

• To feed

• To bluff

• To triumph

• To be or not to be

Answer explanation

The important root word to remember is "Troph". Anytime you see this root word, you know that it's related to food. So a trophic level is an organisms level in the food chain.

Organisms that make their own food are called _____________

• Consumers

• Herbivores

• Autotrophs

• Heterotrophs

Answer explanation

"Auto" = self

"Troph" = to feed

Autotrophs are self-feeders.

Another name for autotrophs is __________________.

• Primary Producers

• Primary Consumers

• Secondary Consumer

• Secondary Producer

Answer explanation

You can remember what primary producers are from their name - producers! They produce the food that the rest of the food chain depends on! 

What do we call the process in which plants and other autotrophs capture energy from the Sun to create food?

• Chemical Energy

• Decomposition

• Chemosynthesis

• Photosynthesis

Answer explanation

Photo = light

Synthesis = to create

Note that the SUN is the ENERGY SOURCE.

Some bacteria that live in places with no sunlight (like the bottom of the ocean), are able to use energy from certain inorganic molecules to produce food. What is this process called?

• Experimentation

• Decomposition

• Chemosynthesis

• Photosynthesis

Answer explanation

Chemo = chemical

Synthesis = to create

Organisms that must eat other organisms for food are called

• Predators

• Consumers

• Herbivores

• Heterotrophs

Answer explanation

Heterotrophs and consumers are the same thing!

Hetero = different

troph = to feed

Heterotrophs feed off of others, not themselves. 

An organism that only eats plants is called a _____________

• Detritivore

• Herbivore

• Omnivore

• Decomposer

Answer explanation

Herb = plant

Vore - to eat

Herbivores ONLY eat plants.

An organism that eats small bits of broken-down matter from organisms that were once alive is called a ___________________.

• Detritivore

• Decomposer

• Omnivore

• Scavenger

Answer explanation

Detritus is the already-broken down matter from previously-living things (think broken-down bits of leaves). Detritivores break them down into teeny-tiny particles which then become new soil.

Bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms by consuming them are called ________________.

• Detritivores

• Decomposers

• Omnivores

• Scavengers

Answer explanation

Decomposers typically break apart larger dead organsims into smaller pieces. They create the detrituse for the detritivores.

Animals that kill and eat other animals are called _____________

• Scavengers

• Omnivores

• Herbivores

• Carnivores

Answer explanation

Carne = meat/animal

Vore = to eat