NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Saprotrophic fungi obtain their food from dead organic material and are ecologically useful decomposers. Parasitic fungi feed on living organisms (usually plants), thus causing disease. To feed, both types of fungi secrete digestive enzymes into the nutritive surface on which they are growing.

Detailed explanation-2: -Generally, plants make their food using the sun’s energy (photosynthesis), while animals eat, then internally digest, their food. Fungi do neither: their mycelium grows into or around the food source, secretes enzymes that digest the food externally, and the mycelium then absorbs the digested nutrients.

Detailed explanation-3: -In fungi first the food is digested and then ingested. Fungi secrete exoenzymes on their food material or external environment and then they process nutrients in the environment. The small molecules are then obtained by the external digestion and are then absorbed by the large surface area of mycelium.

Detailed explanation-4: -Therefore, they secrete digestive enzymes to the external environment that converts the complex organic matter to simple monomers. Upon digestion of the complex matter, the saprotrophs then absorb the simple matter. Hence, saprotrophs perform extracellular digestion.

Detailed explanation-5: -Saprophytes undergo extracellular digestion to digest the dead and decaying matter. They secrete digestive substances into the surrounding environment and break down the organic matter into simpler substances.