Can green plants be hetrotrophic? Explain any four types of heterotrophs.
Answers
All the living organisms i.e. plants and animals require food. These organisms need to take food by different modes of nutrition in order to obtain energy as well as the materials for growth and repair of damaged parts of the body. Nutrition is the process of taking food by an organism as well as the utilization of this food by the organisms. Let’s know more about these modes of nutrition.
All the non-green plants and animals, inclusive of human beings, are called heterotrophs. The non-green plants lack chlorophyll which is necessary to carry out the process of food referred to as photosynthesis. Therefore, they depend on other organisms i.e. plants and animals in order to obtain food.
Heterotrophs are also called consumers because they consume other organisms.
There are four main types of heterotrophs.
Carnivores eat mainly meat or other organisms. They are considered predators because they hunt their prey in order to gain energy from the prey.
Common examples would be a lion, jaguar, and many snakes. However, some insects like dragonflies and Praying Mantis are carnivores.
The oceans also contain a large number of carnivores like sharks, squid, and barracudas.
An omnivore eats both plants and animals. Most humans are omnivores along with dogs, and cats. Omnivores are found in all of the major terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
For example, in the desert, you may find a small rodent called the Jerboa which likes to feed on plants and animals.
The clownfish is an example of an omnivore found in the ocean, and most bears are an omnivore. They will consume both plants and other animals.
Herbivores eat plants. Common examples are horses and cows. One of the largest land animals found on the planet, the elephant, is an omnivore and feeds on grass, trees, fruit, and other plants.
Decomposers are also heterotrophs. They are organisms that use enzymes and chemical reactions in order to break down once-living organisms.
There are two main types of decomposers.
Saprotrophs absorb their nutrition from decaying organisms.
Examples are bacteria and fungi like mushrooms.
Detrivores ingest small bits and pieces of dead animals or feces. For example, flies, dung beetles, and earthworms are detrivores.