Solution :
The process of animals consuming dead and decomposed materials or organisms for energy, food, and nutrition is known as saprophytic nutrition. Saprophytes are organisms that consume food in a saprophytic manner. Saprophytes play a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem’s cleanliness and freedom from unwanted material. They also assist in the process of recycling nutrients.
Fungi and some varieties of bacteria are typical examples of saprophytes. These organisms discharge particular enzymes that interact with complex organic substances and aid in reducing them to easily ingestible, smaller and simpler particles.
Process of Digestion in Saprophytes
The word “neophyte” refers to plants, and the word “saprophyte” is a Greek word that originally meant “plant.” These are primarily known for employing an extra-cellular digestion mechanism, a typical saprophyte digestive mechanism. Certain digestive substances are released during this process into the environment, aiding in the breakdown of organic materials into simpler matter. The remaining nutrients are then directly absorbed through the cell membranes of the organism and undergo the metabolic process.
During the process of saprophytic nutrition, proteins, fats, and starches are digested into simpler compounds; whereas fats are digested into fatty acids, proteins are broken down into amino acids. Starch is broken down into simple sugars, all of which are ultimately transported through the cell membranes.