---
title: "Predators — AP Biology Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Predators are organisms that hunt prey, but in AP Bio they're a classic trigger for phenotypic plasticity, where the same genotype builds different defenses."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-bio/key-terms/predators"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Biology"
---

# Predators — AP Biology Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

Predators are organisms that hunt and kill other organisms, known as prey, for food.

## Related Study Guides

- [5.5 Environmental Effects on Phenotype](/ap-bio/unit-5/environmental-effects-on-phenotype/study-guide/hLZNliseyo0zAayZWnah)

## Review

### Related Terms

- [Carnivores](/ap-bio/key-terms/carnivores): Animals that primarily eat other animals.
- Food Chain: A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
- [Trophic Level](/ap-bio/key-terms/trophic-level): The position an organism occupies in a food chain - what it eats, and what eats it.