Primary Consumer
Definition
A primary consumer is an organism that directly feeds on producers (plants or algae) in an ecosystem. They are herbivores that obtain energy by consuming plants.
Analogy
Think of primary consumers as the "vegetarian" animals of the ecosystem. Just like how some people only eat vegetables, primary consumers only eat plants to get their energy.
Related terms
Producer: Organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
Herbivore: An animal that eats only plants for its source of energy.
Trophic Level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationship with other organisms.
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