All living things need to constant find a source of energy to keep on going. How they get this energy into their system is referred to as nutrition. Some organisms only eat plants, like cattle. They are called herbivores. Some only eat meat like sharks. They are called Carnivores. You also have humans that do both and we are referred to as Omnivores. You also have other organisms that live off of dead or decaying materials called decomposers. How organisms take in food is usually slightly indicative of where the are within the food chain of their ecosystem. Carnivores will feed on all three other types, including other carnivores. Carnivores depend on there being enough available food sources for their survival. Omnivores have a distinct lead over carnivores, because they can eat a wide variety of other organisms. Herbivores are inherently food at the bottom of the food chain as they mind their own business making their own food.
We spend a good bit of time here focused on Fungi. Let's face it fungi and decomposer nutrition, in general, is very interesting. These worksheets will look at how organisms take in food and the unique ability of fungi to make the most of their environment. Students will then look at maintaining a healthy diet in their own lives. We will inspect food labels and the advantages to a well-balanced diet.