Define nutrition and explain its mode …

The process of utilization of food by a living organism to obtain energy is called nutrition.

Mode of nutrition in plant Autotrophic Nutrition

Auto means self and trophos means nourishment. Plants are called autotrophs because they make their food themselves. The making of food for themselves is called the Autotrophic nutrition. Autotrophic nutrition is found in green plants, and in some bacteria.

Heterotrophic Nutrition

The word Heterotrophic is the combination of two words i.e. Hetero + Trophos. Hetero means ‘others’ and ‘trophos’ means nourishment. If organisms depend on others for their food, such a mode of nutrition is called Hetetrophic Nutrition.

Animals cannot make their food themselves. They depend for food upon plants. Therefore, nutrition in animals is called Hetetrophic Nutrition. Animals are known as Heterotrophs.

Saprotrophic Nutrition

The uptake of nutrients by organism from dead and decaying matter in the form of solution is called the saprotrophic nutrition. The organisms which use saprotrophic mode of nutrition are called saprotrophs. For example: fungi.