Trophic Levels: Decomposers
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 7.4.3
Decomposers
Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, are responsible for recycling organic matter within an ecosystem.
Last stop in food chains
Enzymes
- Decomposers break down dead material by secreting (producing) enzymes.
- Enzymes partly digest the waste products, producing small and soluble food molecules.
- These small soluble molecules can then diffuse into the decomposer.
Test yourself on Trophic Levels: Decomposers
What two words describe the food molecules produced when decomposers' enzymes digest organic matter?
How do decomposers recycle organic matter within an ecosystem?
Why do decomposers act at the end of a food chain?
Why do decomposer enzymes break organic matter into small, soluble molecules?