EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -They include fungi along with invertebrate organisms sometimes called detritivores, which include earthworms, termites, and millipedes. Fungi are important decomposers, especially in forests.

Detailed explanation-2: -Decomposers and scavengers break down dead plants and animals. They also break down the waste (poop) of other organisms. Decomposers are very important for any ecosystem. If they weren’t in the ecosystem, the plants would not get essential nutrients, and dead matter and waste would pile up.

Detailed explanation-3: -Decomposers (fungi, bacteria, invertebrates such as worms and insects) have the ability to break down dead organisms into smaller particles and create new compounds. We use decomposers to restore the natural nutrient cycle through controlled composting.

Detailed explanation-4: -Decomposers act on the dead matter, e.g. by secreting the enzymes and digesting the matter externally. Saprotrophs contribute to the decomposition process by extracellular digestion, i.e., they digest dead matter externally by secreting enzymes and then absorbing the nutrients.

Detailed explanation-5: -While the terms decomposer and detritivore are often interchangeably used, detritivores ingest and digest dead matter internally, while decomposers directly absorb nutrients through external chemical and biological processes.