Question

Is euglena a photoautotrophic?

Answer 1

Photoautotrophic:

1. Organisms that are capable of utilizing light energy and converting inorganic substances to organic substances.
2. Euglena is a type of euglenoid which is photoautotrophic.
3. Euglenoids are unicellular microorganisms having a flexible body.
4. They have plastids and can perform photosynthesis in light, but move around in search of food using their flagellum in the absence of light.
5. The heterotrophic species of Euglena can either absorb organic compounds from the surrounding water or engulf bacteria and protists by phagocytosis within the food vacuoles.
6. Since it can show both autotrophic and heterotrophic (saprotrophic) modes of nutrition, they are referred to as mixotrophic.