Question

How do saprophytes digest their food?

Answer 1

Saprophytes:

1. The organism which feeds on dead and decaying organic matter are known as saprophytes.
2. The complex digestion process of saprophytes involves extracellular digestion.
3. They secrete the digestive enzymes outside their body onto the dead remains of organisms.
4. During the digestion process, the proteins are broken into simpler amino acids, carbohydrates into glucose, and fats into glycerol and fatty acids.
5. The digested nutrients are then absorbed by the cell membranes of saprophytes.
6. Examples of saprophytic organisms are mushrooms, corallorhiza orchids, fungi, etc.
7. So, this is how saprophytes derive their nutrition.