A species which main source of energy originates from autotrophs is referred as:

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Question restatement: A species whose main source of energy originates from autotrophs is referred to as:

Option a: A tertiary consumer. This is incorrect because tertiary consumers are typically predators that feed on other carnivores, not organisms that obtain energy from autotrophs directly. Their energy ultimately traces back to producers, but they are not the primary recipients of energy from autotrophs.

Option b: A primary consumer. Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers; while they do rely on energy that originated from autotrophs, the term that directly describes the source is more specific. The question asks for the category that receives energy originally from autotrophs, which is not the consumer level itself.

Option c: A primary producer. This is the correct identification: autotrophs (like plants and algae) are primary producers that convert light energy into chemical energy, supplying the base of the food web for all other trophic levels.

Option d: A secondary consumer. Secondary consumers are carnivores that feed on primary consumers; their energy ultimately comes from autotrophs, but they are not the primary recipients of energy from autotrophs. The phrase “main source of energy originates from autotrophs” points to the producers themselves, not the higher trophic levels that consume others.

In summary, the reasoning hinges on trophic-level roles: autotrophs are the producers that initiate energy flow by creating organic matter from inorganic inputs, making them primary producers. The other options describe organisms at higher trophic levels that depend on this energy, but do not themselves originate energy from autotrophs.

BIOL2306_1A_2025 QUIZ 2 29092025

A species which main source of energy originates from autotrophs is referred as:

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