What is the mode of nutrition in plant class 7?

December 28, 2025 •

2 min read

Did you know most plants are like tiny, self-sustaining food factories? For Class 7 students, understanding what is the mode of nutrition in plant class 7 is a fundamental concept that explores how these living organisms, unlike animals, produce their own nourishment or acquire it from others.

Quick Summary

The mode of nutrition in plants includes autotrophic methods like photosynthesis, as well as specialized heterotrophic types such as parasitic, insectivorous, and symbiotic nutrition, each adapted for specific environments.

Key Points

Autotrophic Nutrition: Green plants make their own food using photosynthesis, a process powered by sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
Photosynthesis Essentials: Chlorophyll is the green pigment that traps sunlight, which is then used to convert water and $CO_2$ into glucose (food) and oxygen.
Heterotrophic Nutrition: Plants that cannot make their own food rely on other organisms; this mode includes parasitic, insectivorous, and symbiotic types.
Parasitic Examples: Parasitic plants, like Cuscuta, derive nutrients by attaching to and harming a host plant.
Insectivorous Examples: Insect-eating plants, such as the Pitcher plant and Venus flytrap, get additional nutrients like nitrogen by trapping and digesting insects.
Symbiotic Examples: In symbiotic relationships, like lichens, two organisms benefit from each other, with one providing food and the other providing shelter and minerals.

Autotrophic Mode of Nutrition

Autotrophs are organisms that make their own food. The majority of plants use this method.

The Process of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process green plants use to create food, converting light energy into chemical energy. It requires:

Sunlight: The energy source.
Chlorophyll: Absorbs sunlight.
Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$): Taken from the air.
Water ($H_2O$): Absorbed from soil.

The process is: Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight (with chlorophyll) $\rightarrow$ Carbohydrates (Glucose) + Oxygen. Glucose provides energy, and oxygen is released.

Heterotrophic Mode of Nutrition

Some plants lack chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize. These heterotrophs get food from other organisms.

Parasitic Plants

Parasitic plants live on or inside a host plant for nutrients, causing harm.

Cuscuta: A parasitic plant that absorbs food from host trees using special roots.

Insectivorous Plants

Carnivorous plants trap and digest insects for nutrients, especially nitrogen, as they often grow in nutrient-poor soil.

Pitcher Plant: Has a pitcher-shaped leaf to trap and digest insects.
Venus Flytrap: Has hinged leaves that close on insects.

Saprophytic Plants

Saprotrophic plants get nutrients from dead and decaying matter by secreting digestive juices.

Fungi: Examples like mushrooms are saprotrophs.

Symbiotic Nutrition

Two organisms live together for mutual benefit in a symbiotic relationship.

Lichens: An algae and fungus association; algae photosynthesizes, and fungus provides shelter and nutrients.
Mycorrhizae: Fungi on plant roots help absorb water and nutrients, while the plant provides carbohydrates.


Characteristic	Autotrophic Nutrition	Heterotrophic Nutrition
Food Source	Produce their own food	Depend on other organisms for food
Energy Source	Sunlight (via photosynthesis) or chemical energy	Organic compounds from other organisms
Chlorophyll	Present in most cases	Absent or non-functional
Movement	Mostly stationary (do not move in search of food)	Often mobile in search of food (for animals); plants remain fixed
Examples	Green plants, algae, cyanobacteria	Parasitic plants (Cuscuta), insectivorous plants (Pitcher plant), fungi

Conclusion

Understanding what is the mode of nutrition in plant class 7 covers both autotrophic (photosynthesis) and heterotrophic methods. Autotrophic nutrition is crucial for most life, producing food and oxygen. Heterotrophic plants show diverse adaptations for obtaining nutrients from others.

Learn more about how green plants produce food and recycle nutrients by visiting this resource on photosynthesis from National Geographic.(https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/photosynthesis/)

Frequently Asked Questions

The two main modes of nutrition in plants are autotrophic and heterotrophic. Autotrophic plants make their own food, while heterotrophic plants depend on other organisms for nutrients.

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create their own food (glucose) and release oxygen. It is vital because it forms the base of most food chains and provides the oxygen that most living things need to breathe.

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in the leaves of plants. Its primary role is to absorb the energy from sunlight, which is then used to power the process of photosynthesis.

Insectivorous plants like the pitcher plant eat insects because they grow in soil that is poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen. While they can perform photosynthesis for energy, they digest insects to obtain the nitrogen they need.

A parasitic plant is one that lives on or inside another living organism (the host) and gets its food from it, harming the host in the process. Cuscuta (dodder) is a common example.

Saprotrophs, like fungi, obtain food from dead and decaying organic matter. They secrete digestive juices onto the material and absorb the nutrients after they are broken down.

Symbiotic nutrition is a relationship where two different organisms live together and share nutrients for mutual benefit. An example is a lichen, where algae and fungi cooperate to survive.