What do you call an organism that is eaten by another organism?

The term used to refer to an organism that is eaten by another organism is "prey." In ecological terms, the prey is a critical component of food chains and food webs, serving as a source of energy for predators. This relationship is an essential aspect of ecosystem dynamics, illustrating how energy transfers through various levels of the food chain. Predators depend on prey populations for food, and the availability of prey can influence the growth and survival of predator species. Understanding these interactions helps to explain population dynamics, species behavior, and the balance of ecosystems. In contrast, the other terms relate to different ecological roles: predators are the organisms that hunt and consume prey, competitors refer to organisms that vie for the same resources, and scavengers feed on dead organisms rather than hunting live ones.