12. Heterotrophy

This is a picture of an alligator, which is an example of heterotrophy. Heterotrophy refers to an organism called a heterotroph that gets its food by eating other organisms, such as plants or animals. Heterotrophs cannot make their own food, so they have to consume other organisms or hunt to get food. An alligator is a predator who hunts and eats animals such as fish and small mammals in order to survive. Alligators are heterotrophs because they get the energy they need for everyday activities and to grow by eating.