Question

Explain with the help of a diagram as to how amoeba obtains nutrition.

Answer 1

i. The process of obtaining nutrients through food that provides for the growth and health of the organisms is known as nutrition.

ii. Nutrition in amoeba:

a. Amoeba is the unicellular organism, which follows the holozoic mode of nutrition.
b. The various processes involved in nutrition are ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion.

1. Ingestion is the process by which the amoeba takes in food. This is done by forming temporary finger-like projections called pseudopodia around the food particle, forming a bag-like structure called vacuole.

2. Digestion is the process wherein the food is broken down into simpler substances in the vacuole, with the help of digestive enzymes.

3. Absorption is the process by which the digested food in the vacuole is absorbed into the cytoplasm by diffusion.

4. Assimilation is the process where a part of the food that is absorbed into the cytoplasm is used to generate energy for the amoeba while the rest of the food is used for growth and development.

5. Egestion is the process wherein the undigested food is thrown out of the body from the vacuole.