| Questions | 5 |
| Topics | Consumers, Health Benefits of Vitamins & Minerals, Scavengers, Tendons & Ligaments, Tertiary Consumers |
Most animals consume other organisms to survive. Consumers (heterotrophs) are divided into three types, primary, secondary, and tertiary, based on their place in the food chain.
| Vitamin / Mineral | Sources | Health Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium | Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), spinach. | Aids bone growth and repair, muscle function. |
| Iron | Red meat, beans, whole grains. | Allows red blood cells to transfer oxygen to body tissues. |
| Magnesium | Nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables. | Muscle, nerve, and enzyme function. |
| Potassium | Bananas, nuts, seeds. | Helps balance fluid levels in the body. |
| Vitamin A | Liver, milk, eggs, carrots. | Vision, immune system, cell growth. |
| Vitamin C | Green and red peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli. | Collagen formation, immune system function, antioxidant (helps protect cells from damage). |
| Vitamin D | Exposure to sunlight. | Helps calcium strengthen bones, muscle, nerve, and immune system function. |
Like decomposers, scavengers also break down the dead bodies of plants and animals into simple nutrients. The difference is that scavengers operate on much larger refuse and dead animals (carrion). Decomposers then consume the much smaller particles left over by the scavengers.
Tough fibrous cords of connective tissue called tendons connect muscles to the skeleton while another type of connective tissue called ligaments connect bones to other bones at joints (elbow, knee, fingers, spinal column).
Tertiary consumers eat primary consumers and secondary consumers and are typically carnivorous predators. Tertiary consumers may also be omnivores. Examples include wolves, sharks, and human beings.