There exist several living beings and natural resources in the surroundings. There exist several ecosystems, food chains, and abiotic and biotic factors in nature.
In order to keep an equilibrium between all living organisms, there are certain food chains that are present in nature. There are food chains between animals and plants as well.
Various living organisms depend on each other for their survival. These food chains have several levels and stages in them. Various animals play the role of being at these stages.
These trophic levels include primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and quaternary consumers. These trophic levels consist of different animals. Various animals perform their roles at different trophic levels.
Key Takeaways
- A producer is a person or a company that creates and supplies goods or services to the market.
- On the other hand, a consumer is a person or entity that uses or consumes the goods and services provided by the producers.
- Producers are the suppliers, while consumers are the end-users of goods and services.
Producer vs Consumer
The difference between producers and consumers is the role that they play at their respective trophic levels. The producers play an important role in producing food for themselves as well as for others. On the other hand, the consumers do not produce their food or anything in general. Consumers gain energy by feeding on other living organisms.
The living organisms that are capable of producing food for themselves as well as for other living organisms, are known as the producers. They are the first trophic level in the respective food chain.
They serve as a food source for many other consumers and also for various trophic levels. The base of the food chain is formed primarily by the producers.
The living organisms that depend on the producers or other living organisms and feed on them for their survival are known as the consumers. Consumers gain their energy from other living organisms. The consumers are either predators or parasites.
They can be either meat-eating or parasites that live in or on the host. However, there are examples of some producers that are classified as consumers as well. Venus Flytrap plants are one of these types.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Producer | Consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning/ Definition | The living organisms that are capable of producing food for themselves as well as for other living organisms are known as the producers. | The living organisms that depend on the producers or other living organisms and feed on them for their survival are known as the consumers. |
| Trophic level | Producers occupy the first trophic level. | Consumers occupy the other trophic levels. |
| Survival | Producers make their food for their survival. | Consumers feed on other living organisms or producers for their survival. |
| Also known as | Converters, transducers | Obtainers |
| Examples | Plants, algae, phytoplankton, chemosynthetic bacteria, grass etc. | Giraffes, pandas, elephants, rabbits, bears etc. |
What is Producer?
The living organisms that are capable of producing food for themselves as well as for other living organisms, are known as the producers. They gain their energy by making their food on their own.
They do not depend on other living beings for their survival. They are plants. There are several other examples of producers as well.
They are the first trophic level in the respective food chain. They serve as a food source for many other consumers and also for various trophic levels. The base of the food chain is formed primarily by the producers.
However, there are examples of some producers that are classified as consumers as well. Venus Flytrap plants are one of these types.
They are autotrophic. Producers can also convert inorganic substances into organic ones. They also help in forming the base of the respective food chain.
The other names by which the producers are acknowledged include transducers and converters. The plants that are the producers in the food chain perform photosynthesis.
Various examples of producers include green plants, small shrubs, fruits, phytoplankton, algae, chemosynthetic bacteria, protests, cyanobacteria etc.
Producers play an important role in the food chain as they play an important role by supplying food to other living organisms. Consumers depend on producers for their survival as they eat the producers.
What is Consumer?
The living organisms that depend on the producers or other living organisms and feed on them for their survival are known as the consumers.
They gain their energy by feeding on producers and other living organisms. They can be either predators or parasites that live in or on the host.
Consumers can be either meat-eating or parasites that live in or on the host. However, there are examples of some producers that are classified as consumers as well. Venus Flytrap plants are one of these types.
Consumers are heterotrophs. They can not convert inorganic substances into organic ones like producers.
Unlike producers, consumers play a secondary role in the respective food chain. Other trophic levels, except for the first trophic level, are occupied by the consumers.
They can not perform photosynthesis like producers, and they can not synthesise food by means of solar energy. There are several other characteristic features of consumers.
Various examples of consumers include grasshoppers, frogs, giraffes, pandas, elephants, rabbits, bears, deer, zebra, lions, goats, cows, butterflies, wolves, snakes, bats, eagles, hens, owls, fishers, rats, flies, humans, horses, termites, hummingbirds, insects, caterpillars, crocodiles, piranhas, pufferfish, dogs, cats, moles, polar bears, turtles, sharks whales, tuna, barracuda, spiders, seals, etc.
Main Differences Between Producer and Consumer
- The producers play an important role in producing food for themselves as well as for others. On the other hand, the consumers do not produce their food or anything in general.
- The producers gain their energy by preparing their food and performing photosynthesis for their survival. On the other hand, the consumers gain their energy by feeding on producers and other living organisms.
- The producers are primarily autotrophic. On the other hand, the consumers are primarily heterotrophic.
- The producers occupy the first trophic level in the respective food chain. On the other hand, the consumers occupy the other trophic levels of the respective food chain.
- Other names by which the producers are acknowledged include transducers and converters. On the other hand, the consumers are also known as the containers.
- Examples of producers include green plants, algae, bacteria, phytoplankton etc., on the other hand, the examples of consumers include bears, lions, zebra, deer, snakes etc.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=epykDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP5&dq=producers+in+food+chain&ots=6BGCjbnKdq&sig=KDjM0SC8zSkAYatEWkG9EG9-5xw
- https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf08240
Last Updated : 25 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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I appreciated the examples provided to illustrate the concepts of producers and consumers.
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