Thursday, July 17, 2008

secondary consumers (canivores)


Secondary Consumers consume the primary consumers. Energy that had been used by the primary consumers for growth and storage is thus absorbed into the secondary consumers through the process of digestion. As with primary consumers, secondary consumers convert this energy into a more suitable form (ATP) during respiration. Again some energy is lost from the system, since energy which the primary consumers had used for respiration cannot be utilised by the secondary consumers.

secondary consumers can also be named as canivores

Characteristics commonly 'associated' with carnivores include organs for capturing and disarticulating prey (teeth and claws serve these functions in many vertebrates) and status as a predator. In truth, these assumptions may be misleading, as some carnivores do not hunt and are scavengers (though most hunting carnivores will scavenge when the opportunity exists). Thus they do not have the characteristics associated with hunting carnivores. Carnivores have comparatively short digestive systems as they are not required to break down tough cellulose found in plants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/energyflow

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