What are branches of heterotrophic nutrition?
Answers
In nature, organisms exhibit various types of heterotrophic nutrition. They are as follows:
Holozoic Nutrition
Saprophytic Nutrition
Parasitic Nutrition
Holozoic Nutrition
Holozoic nutrition involves the ingestion and internal processing of solid and liquid food in an organism. This involves the steps of ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation and excretion.
Ingestion is the intake of food, which is broken down into simpler organic matters by a process called digestion. After extraction of useful components, the unwanted and undigested particles are excreted out.
Saprophytic Nutrition
Saprophytes (animals which follow saprophytic nutrition) feed on dead and decayed organisms for energy. They are an important part of the ecosystem as they help to keep our environment clean and recycle nutrient back into the ecosystem.
Some examples of saprophytes are fungi and certain types of bacteria. These are also responsible for the staling of bread and other similar food products
Parasitic Nutrition
Organisms that live in or on other organisms and acquire food at the expense of its host are called parasites. Most parasites are harmful to the hosts’ health; sometimes, they even kill the host. Both animals and plants may serve as a host. Unlike commensalism, the parasite causes some harm to its host. A few examples of parasites are louse on a human head, Cuscuta plant and tapeworms