Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

In highschool, my teacher once said that all living things must consume other biotics or biotic products. I have searched for the technical term for this, but have been unsuccessful. Anyone?

Hi,

Welcome to Science Buddies!

I wonder if the other experts have not responded to your inquiry because it does not seem to be related to a science project. Normally, we answer questions to help students with science projects on this website. However, your question is an interesting one, but I'm not sure I can answer it. Plants can live on water, carbon dioxide, and inorganic molecules. Some microorganisms can do the same. So I’m not sure what your teacher meant. The term biotic is usually used to refer to one component of a living community of plants, animals, and microbes so would be an important concept in ecological studies. Do you remember anything else about the subject?

Donna Hardy