Which term describes organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms?

• A. Autotrophic
• B. Unicellular
• C. Multicellular
• D. Heterotrophic

Answer: (D)

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms are heterotrophs. They rely on organic molecules produced by other living things for their energy and carbon, such as animals that eat plants or other animals, fungi that decompose material, and many bacteria that feed on organic matter. Autotrophs, by contrast, capture energy directly from sunlight or inorganic chemicals to make their own organic molecules. The terms unicellular and multicellular describe how many cells an organism has, not how it gets energy, so they don’t define this energy source.