Heterotrophic organisms: what are, characteristics and examples

Heterotrophs (from Greek, “heteros” = “other” and “tropos” = “food”) are organisms that obtain their nutrients and energy from the consumption of other organisms. Unlike autotrophs, heterotrophic organisms do not have the ability to produce organic matter from inorganic substances by fixing carbon, but have to take organic carbon from another living being. They are the secondary or tertiary consumers Within the trophic network, depending on the feed of autotrophic organisms or other heterotrophs. Animals are heterotrophs, like fungi, a large number of bacteria and arches.

Heterotrophic organisms obtain their food from organic carbon sources present in the environment that inhabit, since they are unable to transform inorganic carbon into organic, unlike autotrophic organisms. In addition, heterotrophic organisms play the role of consumers in ecosystems that occupy, exercising control over the populations of lower links in the trophic chain and maintaining stability in the middle. It is worth highlighting the existence of two forms of heterotrophy: Photoheterotrophy and chemioheterotrophy.

• THE PHOTOHEROTROPHY: Photoheterotrophic organisms use light as a source of energy but cannot depend exclusively on carbon dioxide as a single carbon source, so they also use organic compounds that take the medium.
• Chemioheterotrophy: On the other hand, chemoheterotrophs obtain their energy from the intake of preformed organic energy sources, such as lipids, carbohydrates and proteins, which have been synthesized by other organisms. They obtain their energy through a chemical reaction that releases energy through the rupture of organic molecules.

Thus, both photoheterotrophs and chemioheterotrophs need to feed on living or dead organisms (or even waste) to obtain energy and process organic matter. To expand the information and so that you know better how to feed the organisms, in these other articles of ecology, we talk about the Autotrophic organisms:

• Difference between autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms with examples.
• Autotrophic organisms: what are, characteristics and examples.

Among the heterotrophic organisms we find herbivores, carnivores and omnivorousbut not only within the kingdom of animals. Thus, these are some examples of heterotrophic organisms.

Examples of herbivorous heterotroph organisms

Herbivores, also known as the primary consumers of the trophic chain, feed on plant species to obtain nutrients, as is the case of the cow (Bos Primigenius Taurus), the rabbit (ORYCTOLAGUS CUNICULUS) or the camel (Camelus Dromedarius). Most herbivorous organisms have symbiotic organisms in their digestive system that facilitate the digestion of cellulose, which is the main component in the plant wall, in energy forms that are able to use.

Within the herbivory, we find frugivorous species, which partially or exclusively feed on fruits, as is the case of bonobos (Bread bread) or fruit flies (Drosophila Melanogaster). In addition, they also include nectarivorous organisms, whose fundamental food is nectar, such as hummingbird (Colibri sp.) or the European bee (Apis Mellifera).

Heterotrophic organisms that are carnivorous

Another type of heterotrophic organisms are carnivores, which are usually predators, classified as secondary consumers – if they feed on primary consumers -, such as the royal owl (Bubo Bubo), or tertiary – if they feed on primary and secondary consumers – such as the lion (Panthera Leo) or the white shark (Carcharodon Carcharias). Carnivores obtain their energy, mainly from lipids stored in herbivores. Carnivores can also be scavengers, if they feed on dead animals, as is the case of the black vulture (Aegypius monachus).

Heterotrophic animals that are omnivorous

Omnivores are also considered heterotrophic organisms, since it is the animals that feed on both plants and animals, among which the human being is (the human being is (Homo sapiens sapiens) or the brown bear (Ursus arctos).

Here we show you more about which animals are omnivorous with simple examples.

Fungi are also heterotrophs

Among heterotrophic organisms, fungi also stands out, which have a hyphae system that grows underground and from which they secrete digestive enzymes that degrade the substrate and allow the absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Many fungi are parasites (such as Hepatic fistulin) and feed on a host organism without killing it, although most are saprophytes (such as Nyctalis agaricoids), which implies that they feed on dead or decomposition material and recycle nutrients, which are available to organisms that, in turn, feed on fungi. This is the reason after the great importance of the role played by fungi as decomposing in ecosystems, as they recycle at all levels of the nutrient cycle.

To expand knowledge about fungi, we recommend this other ecology article about the Fungi Kingdom: what is, characteristics, classification and examples.

Within the set of Photoheterotrophic organismssome examples such as heliabacteria, such as those of the genre, stand out Heliobacterium either Heliobacilluswhich can be found on the ground (especially in rice crops), as well as certain types of proteo-bacteria and non-sulfurous purple bacteria, such as those of the genre Rhodopseudomonasthat use organic acids without sulfur to obtain energy. For its part, among the Chemioheterotrophic organismsfungi and protozoa stand out, which absorb organic carbon of the medium, as well as the oxidizing bacteria of the manganese.

From Ecology Verde, we hope that with this article about heterotrophic organisms: what are, characteristics and examples, we have been able to solve any questions about these forms of life and nutrition so homogeneously established in nature.

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