Question

Define absorptive and holozoic nutrition.

Answer 1

Hint:Nutrition deals with the nutrients and the other healthy substances present in the food that is available to the organisms. It is available in two different ways as, absorptive and holozoic nutrition. In absorptive nutrition, nutrients are directly absorbed from the surroundings, whereas in holozoic nutrition food is incorporated to get nutrients.

Complete answer:
(1) Absorptive nutrition
Absorptive nutrition is defined as the type of nutrition in which it is absorbed by the organism not by taking food. The organism which takes up the nutrition in this way, releases the enzymes to the surrounding environment to break up the complex food into simpler ones and absorbs it through its external skin. It absorbs the nutrition outside by its skin to carry out its life process.

(2) Holozoic nutrition
It is the type of nutrition that takes place inside the body. The organism follows this nutrition process and takes up the food as solid or liquid into the body. There it breaks into the simpler compounds and energy is released. This process involves ingestion, digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food material. Ingestion deals with the in taking of the food. Digestion deals with the conversion of solid complex molecules into the simple compounds. Absorption deals with the absorption of the nutrients from the digested food. Assimilation deals with the taking up of vitamins, minerals, proteins etc. for the body functions.

Note:An example for the absorptive nutrition is fungi, bacteria and other saprophytic organisms that get nutrients from the dead and decomposed material. An example for the holozoic nutrition is amoeba, human beings, cattle, dogs, cats etc.