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Decomposer Definition

Decomposers are living things that break down dead things. For example, worms decompose dead plants into soil nutrients.

View Lesson on Food Webs: Cycling of Matter & Flow of Energy
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Food Webs: Cycling of Matter & Flow of Energy

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • Decomposers like maggots break down dead matter into carbon dioxide and water.
  • Flesh-eating beetles are decomposers that eat dead flesh off bones.
  • Yeast, a decomposer, produces carbon dioxide by breaking down sugar.

Why Do We Need To Know About Decomposer

Learning about decomposers helps us understand how nature recycles and why it’s important for our planet. Decomposers, like worms or maggots, break down dead stuff into carbon dioxide and water. This process makes the soil richer, helping plants grow and supporting the food chain.

This knowledge is used in studying the ocean to keep seafood safe, or in farming to grow better crops. Knowing about decomposers also helps in jobs related to the environment, food, and health because they play a big role in keeping ecosystems healthy and maintaining the natural cycle of nutrients.

Frequently Asked Questions

When we consume food, what happens to the molecules?
When we eat food, our body breaks the molecules down through chemical processes. In cellular respiration, our bodies use sugar and oxygen to create energy for our bodies to use in different ways. The molecules are broken down into building blocks and put back together in different ways.
Why are there typically a larger number of producers than tertiary consumers in an ecosystem?
Only about 10% of energy is passed on to the next organism in a food chain, so there needs to be more of the living things lower in the energy pyramid to support the living things higher in the pyramid.
When living things die, why are there only bones remaining after some time?
Decomposers break down dead material. They break the dead matter into molecules like carbon dioxide and water, that go back into the soil.
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