The Necessities of Life Chapter 2 Section 2 The Necessities of Life

Producer: an organism that can make its own food by using energy from its surrounded. Consumer: an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter.

Decomposer: an organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or animal wastes and consuming or absorbing the nutrients.

Protein: a molecule that is made up of amino acids and that is needed to build and repair body structures and to regulate processes in the body.

Carbohydrate: a class of molecules that includes sugars, starches, and fiber. Lipid: a fat molecule or a molecule that has similar properties.

Phospholipid: a lipid that contains phosphorus and that is a structural component in cell membranes. ATP: adenosine triphosphate, a molecule that acts as the main energy source for cell processes.

Nucleic acid: a molecule made up of subunits called nucleotides. Water: essential substance, along with food and air, that cells in almost all living things need to function.