Living on dead organic matter describes which type of organism?

• A. Producer
• B. Saprophytic
• C. Prey
• D. Pyramid of numbers

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how organisms obtain nutrients from dead matter. Living on dead organic matter describes saprophytic organisms. Saprophytes break down decaying material by releasing enzymes outside their bodies (extracellular digestion) and then absorb the resulting nutrients. This makes them important decomposers in ecosystems, helping recycle nutrients back into the environment. Typical examples are fungi and many bacteria.

They’re not producers, since producers are autotrophs that make their own food (like plants via photosynthesis). They’re not prey, which refers to organisms that are eaten by predators. And the pyramid of numbers is a diagrammatic concept about how many individuals occupy each trophic level, not a type of organism.