In science, a consumer is an organism that obtains its energy by eating other organisms, either plants or other animals). Consumers are unable to make their own energy and rely on the consumption and digestion of producers or other consumers, or both, to survive. Every food chain includes consumers, which are animals that get their energy by eating plants or other animals. There are four types of consumers: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers.

• Herbivores: These are primary consumers that eat only plants or algae). Examples include grasshoppers, caterpillars, and koalas).

• Carnivores: These are secondary consumers that eat other animals). Examples include wolves, cats, and sharks.

• Omnivores: These are consumers that eat both plants and animals. Examples include bears, humans, and pigs.

• Decomposers: These are consumers that break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem. Examples include fungi and bacteria.

Consumers are categorized into primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary consumers based on their position in the food chain. Primary consumers are herbivores that feed on plants, while secondary consumers are carnivores that prey on herbivorous animals). Tertiary consumers are carnivores that prey on other carnivores, and quaternary consumers are at the top of the food chain and eat tertiary consumers.