Organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean are called benthic organisms. They are not free-floating like pelagic organisms are. Layer of vegetation elevated above the ground, usually of tree braches and epiphytes. In tropical forests, the canopy may be more than 100 feet above the ground. Literally, an organism that eats meat.
Most carnivores are animals , but a few fungi, plants, and protists are as well.
Contrast with autotroph . The breakdown of dead organic material by detrivores or saprophytes. Any organism which obtains most of its nutrients from the detritus in an ecosystem. Many diseases are caused by viruses , bacteria , or fungi . In many organisms, this happens at a particular stage in the life cycle, and is often crucial to the survival of the species.