Video Transcript
Which of the following organisms is
an herbivore? (A) Python, (B) rabbit, (C)
rosebush, or (D) lion.
One of the criteria that helps to
define life is the requirement for nutrition, or food as it’s often called. Nutrition provides energy for all
the major life processes, such as growth, movement, and reproduction. We can group organisms according to
the way they obtain this nutrition.
Producers are able to use solar or
chemical energy to make their own food. You likely already know that plants
and algae use the Sun’s energy to perform photosynthesis. This process lets them produce
sugars that provide their nutrition.
Consumers cannot make their own
food but rather must eat other organisms for nutrition. We can classify consumers by the
type of organisms they eat. Herbivores only eat producers. Examples of herbivores are aphids,
cows, and pandas. Carnivores only eat other
consumers. They include some types of spiders,
tigers, and tuna fish. Omnivores eat both producers and
other consumers. Crabs, racoons, and most humans are
omnivores.
Looking back at our question, we
are asked to identify an herbivore from the list of answer options. We now know that herbivores only
eat producers. So, let’s see which option follows
this feeding strategy.
A rosebush is a flowering plant, so
it is a photosynthetic producer. Let’s go ahead and rule it out. Lions and pythons both exclusively
hunt and kill other animals for food. This means they are both
carnivores. So, we can rule them out too. Rabbits only eat plant matter, so
they are herbivores. Therefore, answer (B) is the
correct option.
