General Biology 2

Quarter 2 – Module 1.2:

Compare and Contrast Processes
in Plants and Animals: Nutrition
 Lesson

1 Plant and Animal Nutrition

Proper nutrition is very important to maintain healthy living. Food is

any substance which our body absorbs in order for us to gain energy. It
provides us materials for growth, maintenance, and repair of body tissues.
Plants and animals also need food for them to survive.

What is It

All living organisms need food in order to survive. In order to attain this
goal, plants and animals need proper nutrition to boost the energy and nutrients
essential to maintain life. Once the food is absorbed, it will undergo a digestive
process before being passed to the different parts of the body.

Nutrition is the intake of food from various sources and the process that
converts food substances into living matter. Nutrition is also a requirement for
the growth and maintenance of an organism.

Are you ready to learn more? Let’s start!

There are two types of organisms in plants based on the mode of nutrition.
And these are as follows:
a. Autotrophs/Self-feeders – organisms that obtain energy from sunlight and
chemicals to produce their own food. Examples: plants and chemosynthetic
bacteria
b. Heterotrophs – organisms that cannot make their own food and obtain their
energy from other organisms. Examples: animals and fungi

PLANT NUTRITION

What do you think are the nutritional requirements of plants so that they
can survive in this environment? Well, if you can observe, plants need water,
carbon dioxide, and sunlight to make carbohydrates (glucose) in their bodies.
Since plants are autotrophic organisms, the process of photosynthesis is a
requirement by which organisms convert the energy from sunlight into chemical
energy. Aside from glucose (𝐶6𝐻12𝑂6), oxygen is also produced during
photosynthesis. Oxygen is used by plants for cellular respiration to release
energy from chemical bonds in the sugar to support their growth and
maintenance of the bodily processes.

Nutrient absorption occurs via specialized proteins in the plasma

membrane of root cells. Plants may die if the soil is compacted or saturated
with water and the soil would be unavailable to provide necessary oxygen.
Plants get oxygen from the air spaces between soil particles. So, plants need to
be cultivated and with proper care.

An essential element is necessary for normal growth and reproduction,

cannot be functionally replaced by a different element, and has one or more
roles in plant metabolism. Just like other organisms, plants need essential
nutrients or elements to grow strong and healthy. Plants normally required
0.5% of macronutrients (Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Potassium,
Calcium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus) for dry weight; and trace amounts for
micronutrients (Chlorine, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, Copper, and
Molybdenum). Failure to receive right amount of nutrients in plants may lead to
the formation of discoloration or stunted growth. The table below is a list of
minerals needed by plants to grow strong and healthy.
Macronutrient Functions Deficiency Symptoms
Magnesium Component of chlorophyll; Chlorosis; drooping leaves
activation of
enzymes

Nitrogen Needed by plants for the Chlorosis of

production of proteins, lower leaves, stunted and slow
nucleic acids (DNA growth, and necrosis of older
and RNA) and chlorophyll. leaves in severe cases
Phosphorus Component of ADP and Turn dark green (both
ATP, nucleic acids, leaves and stems) and appear
phospholipids, and several stunted.
coenzymes.
Micronutrient Functions Deficiency Symptoms
Chlorine Role in root and shoot Wilting; chlorosis; some leaves
growth, and in die (deficiency not seen in
photosynthesis nature)
Magnesium The Interveinal
central molecule in chlorosis and leaf margins
chlorophyll and is an becoming yellow or
important co-factor reddish-purple while the
for the production of midrib remains green
ATP (deficiency is not common)
Molybdenum Needed for enzyme Stunted growth, chlorosis, pale
activity in the plant and for leaves that
nitrogen may be scorched, cupped, or
fixation (Legumes plant ) rolled. Leaves
may also appear thick or
brittle, and will
eventually wither, leaving only
the midrib.
Nutritional Adaptation of Plants

a. Symbiosis of plants and soil microbes. The most important source of

nitrogen-fixing bacteria is the symbiotic interaction between soil bacteria and
legume plants. The NH3 resulting from fixation can be transported into plant
tissue and incorporated into amino acids, which are then made into plant
proteins.

b. Symbiosis of plants and fungi. It is common in some vascular plants. The

presence of fungi serves as an extension of the root system. The fungi are
responsible for the enhancement of phosphorus and transfer some nutrients
such as, zinc and copper.

c. Parasitism. A parasitic plant depends on its host for survival. Some parasitic
plants have no leaves. Example: Dodder

d. Predation. An insectivorous plant has specialized leaves to attract and digest

insects. Example: Venus flytrap

ANIMAL NUTRITION

Animals are known as heterotrophs because they consume organic

molecules from other organisms for nutrition. Animals fall into three dietary
categories – herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Detritivores are heterotrophs
that obtain nutrients from decaying bodies of, plants and animals called detritus
by breaking them into smaller sizes before decomposition acts on them.

Animals have different mechanisms to prepare nutrients from food for cells to
use for various purposes. For single-celled organisms (protist, amoeba, and
paramecium) they process their food inside the cell. This process is known as
intracellular digestion. Most multicellular organisms undergo the process of
extracellular digestion wherein the intake food particles are broken down
into smaller components outside the cell. It is
common in animals with gastrovascular cavity which
digestive system is incomplete Hydra, flatworms, and coelenterates are some
of the animals that exhibits extracellular digestion. Food are engulfed to
complete the process of digestion.

Feeding Mechanisms in Animals

Animals are categorized based on how they obtain and ingest food.
Enumerated below are types of animals based on feeding mechanisms.
1. Substrate-feeders – animals that live in or on
their food source.
Examples: earthworms (feeds to the soil);
caterpillars (eat through the leaves)

Caterpillar as Substrate- feeder

2. Filter-feeders – include many aquatic animals

that feed on food particles or strained small
organisms from water
Examples: whales and coelenterates

Worm as Filter-feedes

3. Fluid-feeders – sucks fluids containing

nutrients from a living host.
Examples: mosquitoes, leeches, head lice, aphids

Mosquito as Fluid-feeder

4. Bulk-feeders – eat relatively large chunks of

food and have adaptations like jaws, teeth,
tentacles, claws, pincers, etc. that help in
securing the food and tearing it into pieces.
Examples: snakes, cats, man.
Cat as Bulk-feeder

Animals have different families and groups. Each of them has their own
ways on how to absorb nutrients. But, whatever type of feeding mechanism is
practiced by animals, the same stages of food processing are involved to supply
them with essential nutrients in order to survive in the ecosystem.

After learning the types of food mechanisms, let us continue our

discussion on how animals process the food they eat.
Five Stages of Food Processing in Animals

1. Mechanical Processing/Ingestion
2. Secretion of enzymes and other digestive aids
3. Enzymatic hydrolysis
4. Absorption
5. Elimination

The Human Digestive System

The digestive system is

important for the absorption of
nutrients in the body. The digestion
of food starts in the mouth. The
saliva amylase helps soften the food
and the teeth to break down the food
into smaller pieces. The tongue will
help the bolus of food to be
swallowed down into the
esophagus, a long tube connecting
the mouth and the stomach. Muscle
layers within the esophagus
undergo peristaltic movement so
that food can move easily. It would
take 5-10 seconds for the food to
pass from the pharynx down to the
esophagus and into the saclike
stomach. The food stays with the
stomach for 2-6 hours allowing the The Human Reproductive System
gastric juices to continue the
digestive process.

The stomach is connected to the small intestine through the muscular valve
(pyloric sphincter) controlling the food that passes into the small intestine. Small
intestine is divided into the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Complete digestion
of food happens in the small
intestine where bile and enzymes
are produced to continue the
process.

Accessory organs, liver and

pancreas help the digestion
process. The pancreas produces
hormones responsible in
controlling the glucose level in the
blood. The liver aids the digestion
process by producing bile. The
gallbladder stores the bile Undigested food material moves into
temporarily. As food moves in the the colon where water is reabsorbed
small intestine, the gallbladder and into the Rectum
releases bile through the bile duct
into the small intestine. Bile is not an enzyme but it helps in breaking down large
fat particles into smaller ones. If the fat is broken down into smaller particles, it
is now ready to be digested by enzymes in the small intestine. The digested food
is absorbed by the villi of the small intestine into the network of blood vessels
carrying the nutrients to all parts of the body. By the time the food is ready to
leave the small
intestine, it is basically free from nutrients, except for water. All nutrients from
the undigested substances will be absorbed including the water and cellulose
from the food eaten by the organism.
Connecting to the small intestine is the ascending colon (large intestine).
Large intestine has a small sac, the caecum and the blind ending appendix. The
main function of the large intestine is to absorb water and mineral salts from the
undigested food materials. Nutrients that are not absorbed in the large intestine
form a solid waste known as feces. When the rectum contracts, the feces is
expelled in the anus in the process of egestion or defecation.

What do you think are the needed nutritional requirements for Animals to
maintain homeostasis?

Animals, as well as humans, need food to stay healthy for normal

physiological processes. Different organs in the body play specific roles in the
digestive process. Water, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals, and vitamins
are the types of nutrients needed to maintain homeostasis in the body. Let us
explore how are these types of nutrients help in keeping the organisms in a
healthy state.
1. WATER – a natural solvent that helps the body digest food and eliminate waste
products, regulates body temperature, maintains blood pH, and keeps the
skin and internal respiratory surfaces moist. People are required to drink 8-
10 glasses of water to replace what is lost in perspiration and urination.

2. CARBOHYDRATES – serve as a major energy source for the cells in the body.
These are usually obtained from grains, cereals, breads, fruits and
vegetables. On average, carbohydrates contain 4 Calories per gram.

3. PROTEINS– mainly used as building materials for cell structures, parts of

muscles, and bones. Proteins primarily come from dairy products, poultry,
fish meat, and grains. It contains 4 Calories per gram.

4. FATS – used to build cell membranes, steroid hormones, and other cellular
structures. It is also used to insulate nervous tissues and serves as an energy
source. Fats are obtained from oils, margarine, butter, fried foods, meat, and
processed snack foods. It contains 9 Calories per gram.

5. MINERALS – needed by the body to maintain homeostasis. Calcium is an

important minerals for building bones and teeth as well as for normal muscle
functions, and blood clotting. Examples of minerals that need to consume in
trace amounts are iodine, cobalt, zinc, molybdenum, manganese, and
selenium.

6. VITAMINS – organic molecules required in small amounts for normal

metabolism; examples include fat soluble vitamins A, D, E K , and water
soluble vitamins B, B2, and B3.

All living organisms need to maintain healthy body. To achieve it, one
must have a balance diet containing the right amount of the different types of
nutrients. A diet may vary from person to person, depending on health
conditions, lifestyles, activities, sex, an