Which organism breaks down dead material and recycles nutrients to soil?

Which organism breaks down dead material and recycles nutrients to soil?

• A. Decomposer
• B. Producer
• C. Consumer
• D. Nucleus

Answer: (A)

Decomposers break down dead material and recycle nutrients back into the soil. They feed on decaying plants, animals, and waste, turning complex organic matter into simpler substances like minerals that plants can absorb. This nutrient recycling keeps ecosystems productive and soil fertile, enabling producers to grow again. Fungi and certain bacteria are common decomposers. Producers make their own food using sunlight (photosynthesis) and sit at the base of the food chain. Consumers eat other organisms for energy. The nucleus is a cell component that houses genetic material, not an organism.

Decomposers break down dead material and recycle nutrients back into the soil. They feed on decaying plants, animals, and waste, turning complex organic matter into simpler substances like minerals that plants can absorb. This nutrient recycling keeps ecosystems productive and soil fertile, enabling producers to grow again. Fungi and certain bacteria are common decomposers.

Producers make their own food using sunlight (photosynthesis) and sit at the base of the food chain. Consumers eat other organisms for energy. The nucleus is a cell component that houses genetic material, not an organism.