Tag: Absorptive nutrition

According to Britannica, absorptive nutrition is the process used by saprotrophs, such as fungi, to digest dead organic matter by excreting enzymes. This unique biological process, which defines an entire kingdom of life, allows organisms to thrive by processing food outside their own bodies before absorbing the necessary nutrients.

Over 2 million fungal species exist on Earth, and almost all of them provide a clear example of absorptive nutrition. In this process, fungi secrete potent digestive enzymes outside their bodies to break down complex organic matter before absorbing the resulting nutrients.

According to Britannica, a primary characteristic of fungi is their unique method of feeding through absorptive nutrition, where they secrete digestive enzymes directly into their environment. This external digestion process is a fundamental aspect of their biology and contrasts sharply with the ingestive method used by animals.