Question

the carbon cycle occurs at every level of the food chain—even after organisms reach the end of their lives. the remains of plants, insects, and animals are broken down by decomposers, which rely on dead organic materials for food. most decomposers are not visible to the naked eye, including bacteria and protozoa that live in the soil. others are larger, like fungi. contrary to popular belief, fungi are not plants, so they cannot produce their own food via photosynthesis. instead, they secrete enzymes that help to decompose dead plants and animals, then absorb the nutrients released by the broken - down remains. the substances they dont absorb are then returned to the ground. this includes not only carbon, but water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. these are all substances that producers like plants need to grow. though not technically decomposers, invertebrates like earthworms and termites also contribute to this recycling process. rather than absorbing nutrients from dead organisms, however, these creatures, called detritivores, simply eat the remains. by doing so, they break the remains down into smaller pieces, speeding up the decomposition process. in turn, the nutrients contained in the remains are returned to the environment faster. which of the following is not true of detritivores? choose one option a they secrete enzymes that break down dead organisms. b they consume the remains of dead organisms. c they expedite the decomposition process. d they break down organic material into smaller pieces.

Explanation:

• For option B: The text says "these creatures, called detritivores, simply eat the remains", so B is true.
• For option C: "speeding up the decomposition process" shows they expedite it, so C is true.
• For option D: "they break the remains down into smaller pieces" confirms D is true.
• For option A: The text states that fungi (decomposers) secrete enzymes, while detritivores "eat the remains" and break them into smaller pieces, not by secreting enzymes. So A is not true of detritivores.

Answer:

A. They secrete enzymes that break down dead organisms.