Food Chain Vocabulary
ecosystem: an interacting group of living organisms in an area
food chain: the sequence of who eats whom in and ecosystem
food web: a network of many food chains in an ecosystem
producer/autotroph: an organism that makes its own food; they are the base of
every food chain
consumer/heterotrophy: a living thing that eats other living things to survive
herbivore/primary consumer: an animal that eats plants, the first consumer
carnivore/secondary consumer: an animal that eats meat, the second consumer
tertiary consumer: an animal that eats a secondary consumer, the third consumer
omnivore: an animal that eats both plants and other animals
decomposer: an organism that breaks down dead plants and animals; they are the
end of every food chain
scavenger/detrivore: an organism that feeds on decomposing plants and animals;
they leave the remains for decomposers
predator: an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food (prey)
trophic level: the position an organism holds on the food chain
filter feeder: animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles
from water (examples: clams, oysters, blue whales)
parasite: an organism that feeds off of and harms another living thing (host)
forage: to wander in search of food; the grasses and plants eaten by animals
graze: to feed on growing grass (Cattle graze in a pasture.)
photoplankton: single celled organisms floating in the ocean that can make their
own food (example: algae)
Food Chain Vocabulary
ecosystem: an ___________________ group of living organisms in an area
food chain: the sequence of _______________________ in and ecosystem
food web: a network of ____________________________ in an ecosystem
producer/autotroph: an organism that _____________________; they are the
________________ of every food chain
consumer/heterotrophy: a living thing that eats ___________________ to survive
herbivore/primary consumer: an animal that eats ___________________, the first consumer
carnivore/secondary consumer: an animal that eats _________________, the second consumer
tertiary consumer: an animal that eats a ___________ consumer, the third consumer
omnivore: an animal that eats ___________ plants and other animals
decomposer: an organism that breaks down _____________ plants and animals; they are the
____________ of every food chain
scavenger/detrivore: an organism that feeds on __________________ plants and animals; they
leave the remains for _____________________
predator: an animal that hunts ______________ other animals for food (_______)
trophic level: the position an organism holds on the __________________
filter feeder: animals that feed by _______________ suspended matter and food particles from
water (examples: clams, _______________, blue whales)
parasite: an organism that feeds off of _________________ another living thing (___________)
forage: to wander in search of ____________; the grasses and plants eaten by animals
graze: to feed on __________________ (Cattle graze in a pasture.)
photoplankton: single celled organisms floating in the _____________ that can make
_____________________ (example: algae)