What type of organisms are heterotrophs?

Heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for energy, which makes them distinct from autotrophs, which can produce their own food through processes like photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Heterotrophs obtain organic compounds either by consuming other living organisms, such as plants or animals, or by consuming organic matter derived from them. This category includes a wide variety of life forms, including herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers, which all play crucial roles in ecosystems by transferring energy through food webs and recycling nutrients.

While decomposers specifically are a group that breaks down dead organic matter, this does not define all heterotrophs, as many heterotrophs consume living or recently deceased organisms. This distinction helps highlight the interconnectedness of life and energy flow within ecosystems. The other options describe organisms that either produce their own food, obtain energy from inorganic substances, or focus narrowly on decomposers, but they do not encompass the broad definition of heterotrophs.