6 NUTRITION

What is Nutrition?

 The entire process by which organism

obtain energy from food for growth,
maintenance and repair of damaged
tissues
 Nutrient – the substances that are
required for the nourishment of an
organism
 6.1 Type of Nutrition

Two main types:

1. Autotrophic
2. Heterotrophic
 1. Autotrophic

A process in which organisms synthesise

organic substances from inorganic
substances
 Autotroph = Auto – self, trophos – feed
(organism which can make their own food)
 The source of energy for synthesising food
can be either light energy or chemical
energy.
 The synthesis of food using light
energy – photosynthesis (photo –
light)
 Photoautotroph – organisms which
produce organic molecules from
carbon dioxide and water using
sunlight as a source of energy
 Example: green plants
 The synthesis of food using chemical
energy – chemosynthesis (chemo –
chemical)
 Chemoautotroph – organisms which
synthesise organic compound by
oxidising inorganic compound
(hydrogen sulphide and ammonia)
 Example: certain bacteria
(Nitrosomonas sp. and Nitrobacter sp.)
 2. Heterotrophic

A type of nutrition in which organism

obtain energy through the intake and
digestion of organic substances.
 Heterotroph =Hetero – other,
trophos – feed (organism that cannot
synthesis their own nutrients but
obtain the nutrients from other
organisms)
They may practice
a) Holozioc nutrition,
b) Saprophytism
c) Parasitism
 a) Holozoic nutrition

- holo –like, zoon – animal

- The organism feeds by ingesting
solid organic matter which is
subsequently digested and
absorbed into their bodies
- Examples: humans, herbivores,
carnivores and some carnivorous
pitcher plants and Venus fly-traps
 b) Saprophytism

- The organism called saprophytes

- Feed on dead and decaying
organic matter
- Digest their food externally
before absorbing the nutrients
into their bodies
- Examples: bacteria, fungi
 c) Parasitism
- The organism called parasite
- Obtain nutrient from living on
(ectoparasites) or in (endoparasites)
the body of another living organism
(host)
- They absorbs readily digested food
from its host
- Examples: fleas (ectoparasites), lice,
worms (endoparasites), Rafflesia
plant
 Test Yourself

1. Differentiate between autotrophic and

heterotrophic nutrition.
A: Autotrophic nutrition – A process in
which organisms synthesise organic
substances from inorganic substances

Heterotrophic nutrition - A type of

nutrition in which organism obtain
energy through the intake and
digestion of organic substances.
 Test Yourself

1. Name two types of autotrophic

nutrition.
A: Photosynthesis and chemosynthesis
 Test Yourself

1. Name three types of heterotrophic

nutrition.
A: Holozoic nutrition, saprophytism and
parasitism
 Test Yourself
1. Name the nutritional habits of the
following organisms;
a) Pitcher plants
A: holozoic nutrition
b) Green algae
A: photosynthesis
d) Tapeworm
A: parasitism