What do you mean by nutrition …

Mode of Nutrition in Plants:

Plants are the only organisms that prepare food for themselves by using water, carbon-dioxide and minerals and raw materials are present in their surroundings. On the basis of their mode of nutrition the organisms are divided into two groups:

1. Autotrophs: Those organisms which can make food themselves from simple substances like carbon dioxide and water by the process of photosynthesis are called autotrophs. All green plants are autotrophs.

2. Parasites: The plant which lives on or inside another organism and derives the food from it is called as parasite. These plants produce certain special type of roots called as sucking roots which penetrate into the host plant for e.g. Cuscuta plant.

3. Insectivorous Plants: Those green plants which obtain their food partly from insects are called insectivorous plants. These plants have specialized leaves to catch the insects. They are also called as carnivorous plants. For e.g. Pitcher plant, Sundew plant, venus fly-trap plant etc.
4. Saprotrophs: Those non-green plants which obtain food from dead or decaying organic matter are called saprotrophs. The saprophytic plants secrete digestive juices on the dead and decaying organic matter and convert it into a solution. They absorb the nutrients from this solution. For e.g. fungi such as mushrooms, bread mould and yeast.