AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Humans, for example, are primary consumers when they eat plants such as vegetables. They are secondary consumers when they eat cows. They are tertiary consumers when they eat salmon.

Detailed explanation-2: -Humans are said to be at the top of the food chain because they eat plants and animals of all kinds but are not eaten consistently by any animals. The human food chain starts with plants. Plants eaten by humans are called fruits and vegetables, and when they eat these plants, humans are primary consumers.

Detailed explanation-3: -At the top of the scale are meat-eaters that don’t have any predators themselves, such as polar bears and orca whales. Instead, we sit somewhere between pigs and anchovies, scientists reported recently. That puts us right in the middle of the chain, with polar bears and orca whales occupying the highest position.

Detailed explanation-4: -The top consumer in a food chain is also called the “apex predator.” It is an organism with no other natural predators, and thus, it is considered to occupy the “highest trophic level.” What the highest trophic level is depends on the ecosystem.

Detailed explanation-5: -Humans are quaternary consumers. Typically, humans are referred to as “apex predators".