decomposer

[MIA6]

What’s the difference between decomposer and Scavenger? According to the definitions that i read, they both eat dead organisms? Hope you can tell me, thanks.

[mith]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposer

[dr. dugmore]

decomposers are fungi and bacteria, they have no moulths, they excrete enzymes over their food and suck it up to get the energy, that is of corse a rough explaination

excuse my typing im on my laptop, it is getting dark...

[mcar]

Decomposers known too as detritus feeders, bacteria and fungi...
I think the size is a factor...
Scavengers could be bigger animals in sense... like vultures, hyenas...

[volcob]

the difference is that the scavengers eats those which was left by other animals or which may have died from illness or old age they use their canines to tear the flesh but the decomposers are mostly microorganism that doesnt have canines such as saprophites(produces enzymes to digest the food externally then vacuum it such as fungi etc) or you may just put it this way scavengers are macro eaters while decomposers are micro eaters

[February Beetle]

What would you call insect, carrion beetle for instance? I would say macro eater but I am still unsure.

[Beetle]

My perspectiv to decomposers and scavangers would be this. Decomposers are those organisms that break down organic material to its basic components in sense that very few organisms can eat and live on their leftovers and excrements. In that gorup I would put bacteria and fungi. Scavangers would be organisms that activly search for dead organisms no matter of their size so everything from small insect to hyena.

[gamar]

A scavenger ingests dead organisms. A decomposer lives in or on food supplies and absorbs organic energy not harvested by consumers, leaving inorganic elements to the environment for recycling.