Some organisms take in whole food material and break it down inside their bodies. This is called ________ nutrition.
- AOption (a)
saprophytic
- BOption (b)
holozoic
- COption (c)
parasitic
- DOption (d)
autotrophic
View answer & explanationHide answer & explanation
Correct answer
holozoic
Why this answer is correct
p data-end="57" data-start="0">The correct answer is holozoic.
Key Points
- Holozoic nutrition is a type of heterotrophic nutrition that involves the ingestion of liquid or solid organic material, followed by its internal digestion, absorption, and assimilation to provide energy.
- In this mode, the organism takes in the whole food material (complex organic substances) and breaks it down into simpler forms inside the body using specific enzymes. Hence, the statement in the question perfectly describes holozoic nutrition.
- The process of holozoic nutrition typically follows five distinct stages: Ingestion (taking in food), Digestion (mechanical and chemical breakdown), Absorption (nutrient uptake), Assimilation (utilization for energy/growth), and Egestion (elimination of waste).
- Common examples of organisms following this mode include Humans, Amoeba, Dogs, Cats, and Lions. In Amoeba, food is captured using temporary finger-like projections called pseudopodia.
- Organisms with holozoic nutrition are categorized into three types based on their food source: Herbivores (plant-eaters), Carnivores (meat-eaters), and Omnivores (those eating both plants and animals).
Additional Information
- Saprophytic Nutrition:
- Saprophytic organisms (saprobes) derive their nutrition from dead and decaying organic matter like fallen leaves, dead animals, or rotting bread.
- Unlike holozoic organisms, they perform extracellular digestion by secreting enzymes outside their body to break down complex matter and then absorbing the liquefied nutrients. Common examples include Fungi (like Mushrooms and Yeast) and certain Bacteria.
- Parasitic Nutrition:
- In this mode, an organism (the parasite) lives on or inside another living organism (the host) and obtains its food at the expense of the host without killing it immediately.
- They can be Ectoparasites (living outside, like Leeches and Lice) or Endoparasites (living inside, like Tapeworms and Ascaris). A famous plant parasite is Cuscuta (Amarbel).
- Autotrophic Nutrition:
- Autotrophs are organisms that can manufacture their own food from inorganic substances like Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Water (H2O).
- Most autotrophs use Photosynthesis, utilizing Sunlight and Chlorophyll to produce Glucose. This category primarily includes Green plants and Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
Important Points
- Key Biological Features:
- Heterotrophs: Both holozoic, parasitic, and saprophytic organisms fall under the broad category of Heterotrophs because they cannot produce their own food and depend on other sources for organic carbon.
- Digestive System: Holozoic nutrition usually requires a specialized digestive tract or a food vacuole (as in unicellular organisms like Paramecium) to process the ingested material.
- Comparison Summary:
- Holozoic: Internal digestion of solid/liquid food.
- Saprophytic: External digestion of dead matter.
- Parasitic: Absorption of nutrients from a living host.
- Autotrophic: Synthesis of food using Solar energy or Chemical energy.