Question

Apart from plants and animals, microbes form a permanent biotic component in an ecosystem. While plants have been referred to as autotrophs and animals as heterotrophs, what are microbes referred to as? How do the microbes fulfil their energy requirements?

Answer 1

Microbes:

Microbes are known to be decomposers in the ecosystem. Bacteria and fungi feed on dead organic waste converting them into simple inorganic nutrients.

Hence, the microbes have a saprophytic mode of nutrition.



Mechanism of deriving nutrition:

The microbes secrete enzymes to digest the organic matter and partly absorb the digested matter for their own assimilation.