Producing Organizations

We explain what producing organisms are, their classification and examples. In addition, consumer and decomposer organisms.

What are producing organisms?

The producing organisms, also called autotrophs (from the Greek car which means “by itself” and tropes which means “nutrition”), are beings that produce their own food from inorganic substances such as light, water and carbon dioxide, so they do not need other living beings for nutrition.

Producer organisms maintain the balance of the planet because they are the main source of food and they provide all the nutrients to primary consumers, generate oxygen and contribute numerous gases that make up the atmosphere.

Examples of producing organisms

Some examples of producing organisms are:

• The purple bacteria.
• The grass.
• The weeping willow.
• The olive tree.
• The bushes.
• Coleochaete algae.
• Spirulina.
• Some microorganisms.

Types of producing organisms

Producing organisms are classified into two types, depending on the energy source they use:

• The photosynthetics. They are the organisms that convert inorganic matter into organic matter through a process of synthesis of the energy provided by sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis. For example, plants that have chlorophyll, such as asparagus and parsley.
• The chemosynthetics. They are organisms that obtain energy from the oxidation of inorganic compounds such as iron, hydrogen, sulfur and nitrogen. For example, nitrogen bacteria that come into contact with nitrogen in the air transform it into nitrates that can be used by plants.

Producer organisms are the initial link in the food chain, which is made up of three groups of organisms:

• The producers
• The consumers
• The decomposers

Consumer organizations

Consumer organisms, also called heterotrophs (from the Greek hetero which means “different” and trophos which means “nutrition”) feed on organic matter that is, from other living plant and/or animal beings. Within the food chain, consumer organisms are divided into:

• Primary consumers. They are herbivorous animals that feed on different parts of plants such as leaves, stems, roots, fruits, seeds or substances made by the plant. Some examples of primary consumers are goats, cows, crickets, sheep, bats, hummingbirds, and gorillas.
• Secondary consumers. They are carnivorous animals, and are classified into different types, such as predators (which hunt other animals) and parasites (which feed on others, but without killing them). In many ecosystems this is the link of small carnivores, or also omnivorous animals, which feed on everything. Examples of secondary consumers are foxes, spiders, praying mantises, opossums, seals and small hunting snakes.
• Tertiary consumers. They are animals that feed on secondary and primary consumers. In this category are snakes from the boa family, hawks, owls, orca whales, and wild dogs.
• Quaternary consumers. They tend to be consumers that do not have natural predators and, therefore, occupy the final position (the top) of any food web, that is, the final consumers or absolute predators. For example, birds of prey, sharks, polar bears, dolphins, felines such as the lion, and canines such as the wolf.
• Necrophages or detritivores. Some consumers, called detritus eaters or detritivores, feed on dead organic matter including dead bodies, leaf litter, and feces. A special type of detritivores are those consumers that feed on corpses, that is, the body of dead organisms. Once life has ceased, different microorganisms begin a digestion of the organic matter, helped first by insects, scavengers and other organisms that devour the body or that end up with the remains of the hunt of other larger animals.

decomposer organisms

Decomposer organisms are those that harness the energy of decomposing organic matter that is, the remains of plants and animals. These microbial organisms convert the remains into inorganic energy that is then used by the producing organisms. Some examples of decomposer organisms are:

• The bacteria. For example: azotobacter and pseudomonas.
• The mushrooms. For example: shiitake and water mold.

Continue in: Decomposer organisms

References

• “Genetically Modified Food” at WHO.int.
• “Autotroph” at NationalGeographic.org.
• “Difference between heterotrophs and autotrophs” in Sciencing.com.
• “Chain” on Aitanatp.com.
• «Food chain» in Ecosistemas.ovacen.com.
• Biology: Solomon E., Berg L., Martin D. (2013) 9th Edition. Cengage Learning Publishing.
• Ecology. Smith T and Smith R. (2007) 6^to Edition. Pearson Education Publishing.