A decomposer is an organism that breaks down organic materials from dead organisms to obtain energy. These organisms are basically living recycling plants. Fungi, worms, and bacteria are all examples. The dead stuff they eat is called detritus, which means “garbage”.

A healthy ecosystem consists of native plant and animal populations interacting in balance with each other and nonliving things (for example, water and rocks). Healthy ecosystems have an energy source, usually the sun. Decomposers break down dead plants and animals, returning vital nutrients to the soil.

All ecosystems have living things that play the same basic roles. Some organisms must be producers. Others must be consumers. Decomposers are also important.

You depend on each other and need the nonliving things in your home, like food, water, air, and furniture. Living things need nonliving things to survive. Without food, water, and air, living things die. Sunlight, shelter, and soil are also important for living things.

marine phytoplankton

Humans cause changes when they build places to live, work, and go to school. Humans also change the environment when they grow food and make products. Pollution occurs when human processes release wastes that affect the land, air, or water. Chemicals and waste products can affect an ecosystem when they are released.

In the most recent meeting of the Royal Geographical Society of London, the Earthwatch Institute declared bees the most important living species on this planet.

Organisms need to take food to get energy and perform life processes. A living organism undergoes many life processes like nutrition, respiration, digestion, transportation, excretion, blood circulation, and reproduction. To perform all these life processes, the organism needs energy and nutrients.

The food that living beings consume, contain nutrients that are required for their well being. Food provides energy. It helps in growing and developing. They help in recovering and repairing the damaged parts of the body.

Nutrition is the process by which living things get or make food. All animals get food by eating other living things. Herbivores eat plants, while carnivores eat other animals. Humans are omnivores, which are animals that eat both plants and other animals.

In order to survive, animals need air, water, food, and shelter (protection from predators and the environment); plants need air, water, nutrients, and light. Every organism has its own way of making sure its basic needs are met.

Non-livings things do not exhibit any characteristics of life. They do not grow, respire, need energy, move, reproduce, evolve, or maintain homeostasis. Living things grow and reproduce. Humans and animals produce young ones through various methods.

Difference between Living and Non-living things

environments are big and naturally unchanging; • people are not a natural part of the environment; • non-living things cannot interact because they do not move or grow; • living things may use non-living things but do not rely on them for survival.

Plants are alive; they grow, eat, move and reproduce.