Question

What are examples of saprotrophs?
(a) Bacteria and Fungi
(b) Cats and Rats
(c) Buffaloes
(d) Lions and Tigers

Answer 1

Hint:Saprotrophs are organisms involved in the processing of dead or decayed organic matter. This group of organisms includes members belonging to the kingdom in which organisms have a cell wall made of chitin and organisms with a peptidoglycan cell wall.

Complete answer:
The word saprotroph is derived from the Greek words ‘sapros’ meaning ‘rotten or putrid’ and ‘troph’ meaning ‘nourishment’. Saprotrophic nutrition is a process of chemotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of dead and decaying organic matter. Saprotrophic organisms are critical for the process of decomposition and nutrients cycling and include fungi, certain bacteria, etc. Some examples of bacterial saprotrophs are E. coli, Spirochaeta, etc.
The saprophytes feed by a process known as absorptive nutrition, in which the nutritional substrate such as a dead organism or other non- living organic matter is directly digested by the organisms using a variety of enzymes that are excreted by the saprotroph. These enzymes and digestive juices are secreted into the environment which digests the matter externally and is later absorbed by the organism. The enzymes convert the detritus into simpler molecules that are easily absorbable by the cells to feed the organism.
So, the answer is, “Bacteria and Fungi”.

Note:
- Saprotrophs are not the same as detritivores.
- While both these groups of organisms consume detritus or the dead and decaying matter, saprotrophs do so by bringing about extracellular digestion of the matter and then absorbing the simpler compounds directly.
- Detritivores however ingest the dead or decaying matter and obtain the nutrients from them by digesting them internally.
- Saprophytes include bacteria and fungi, whereas detritivores include few animals.