Which term best describes organisms like plants and algae that can synthesize their own food?

Organisms like plants and algae that can synthesize their own food are best described as producers. This term refers to organisms that can convert inorganic substances, such as carbon dioxide and water, into organic compounds through processes like photosynthesis. This ability allows them to generate their own food and serves as the foundation for food chains within ecosystems, as they provide energy and organic material for other organisms.

In contrast, consumers are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must obtain energy by consuming other living things, which includes herbivores that eat plants and predators that eat other animals. Thus, while these other terms describe different roles within an ecosystem, they do not accurately capture the self-sustaining food synthesis characteristic of plants and algae.