Nutrition:
Nutrition means the methods of procuring food or obtaining food by an organism. Different organisms have different methods of procuring food. In other words, organisms differ in their modes of nutrition. Depending on the modes of obtaining food, all the organisms can be classified into two groups –
- Autotrophic
- Heterotrophic
Nutrition in Plants:
Plant and animals don’t obtain food by the same processes. Plants and some bacteria have the green pigment chlorophyll to help synthesize food, while animals, fungi, and other bacteria depend on other organisms for food.
There are two main modes of nutrition in plants:
Autotrophic Nutrition:
The term ‘autotroph‘ is derived from two Greek words autos (self) and trophe (nutrition). In autotrophic nutrition, an organism makes its own food from simple raw materials. This nutrition is further classified into two types depending on the source of energy used.
Heterotrophic Nutrition:
Unlike autotrophs, which manufacture their own food, heterotrophic organisms obtain food from other organisms. All animals and non-green plants come under this category. Depending upon the mode of living and the mode of intake of food, heterotrophs may be parasitic, saprophytic, symbiotic, or insectivorous.