Question

a consumer is an organism that
a. is not a predator.

b. cannot store its own energy.

c. gets its own food using photosynthesis.

d. gets matter and energy by eating other organisms as
food.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Consumers can be predators (e.g., lions), so this is incorrect.
• Option B: Consumers can store energy (e.g., fat in animals), so this is incorrect.
• Option C: Organisms that use photosynthesis to make food are producers (like plants), not consumers, so this is incorrect.
• Option D: By definition, a consumer is an organism that obtains matter and energy by consuming other organisms (either plants, animals, or both). This matches the definition of a consumer.

Answer:

D. gets matter and energy by eating other organisms as food.