Decomposers
- This refers specifically to organisms that break down dead organic matter (plants, animals, etc.) into simpler inorganic compounds.
- They play a vital role in recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem for producers (plants) to use. Examples include bacteria, fungi, and some worms.
Saprotrophs:
- This term is similar to decomposers, but it’s broader.
- It encompasses any organism that gets its nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter, not just those that break it down completely.
- Some slime moulds and certain types of protists can also be saprotrophs.
Osmotrophs
- This is an even broader category that refers to how organisms obtain nutrients. Osmotrophs absorb dissolved nutrients from their environment.
- This can include decomposers and saprotrophs that absorb the broken-down organic matter, but it also encompasses many other organisms like bacteria and fungi that get their nutrients from various dissolved substances in their surroundings, not necessarily dead matter.
