Heterotrophs in the Food Chain

• Heterotrophs are the largest group of living organisms in the food chain, occupying multiple trophic levels.
• The second trophic level is occupied by consumers that directly feed on autotrophs so as to begin the transfer of energy in the system.
• The heterotrophs on the third trophic levels are secondary consumers that feed on primary consumers. These are the more complex group of organisms that feed on organic compounds.
• Decomposers are another important group of organisms residing at the higher trophic levels in the ecosystem. These are an essential group of heterotrophs that feed on dead and decaying materials to release the inorganic compounds back to the environment.
• Each trophic level transfers 10% of the energy while the rest of the energy is stored in the trophic level as biomass.

Important Viva Questions on Heterotrophs

1. What are Heterotrophs?
2. Define Heterotrophs.
3. What are the types of Heterotrophs?
4. Write 4 examples of Heterotrophs.
5. Where are Heterotrophs in the Food Chain?