Power - a kind of a process by which the body gets the required energy and nutrients for cell metabolism, repair and growth.
Heterotrophs: general characteristics
Heterotrophs - those organisms that use organic food sources.They can not create organic matter from inorganic, as is done in the process of photo- or chemosynthesis autotrophs (green plants and some prokaryotes).That is why the survival of the described organisms depends on the activity of autotrophs.
Note that heterotrophs - a man, animals, fungi, and part of plants and microorganisms that are unable to photo- or chemosynthesis.I must say that there is a certain type of bacteria that use light energy to produce their own organic compounds.It fotogeterotrofy.
Heterotrophs get food in different ways.But they all boil down to three main processes (digestion, absorption and assimilation), in which sophisticated molecular complexes are broken down into simpler and more absorbed by the tissues and then use the needs of the body.
Classification heterotrophic
They are divided into two large groups - consumers and decomposers.The latter are the final link in the food chain, as the organic compound capable of converting a mineral substance.By consumers are those organisms that use organic compounds prepared, which were formed during the life of autotrophs without their final transformation into mineral residues.
addition, heterotrophs - it saprophytes or parasites.Saprophytes feed on organic compounds dead organisms.This most animals, yeast, mold and mushrooms shlyapkovye, as well as the bacteria that cause fermentation and putrefaction.
Parasites feed on organic compounds of living organisms.These include certain protozoa, parasitic worms, mosquitoes and ticks.This group also includes viruses and bacteria, parasitic plants, heterotrophs (eg, mistletoe) and mushrooms-parasites.
Power heterotrophic organisms
By the nature of heterotrophic nutrition are very diverse.Thus, some of them are herbivorous or carnivorous species, parasites and predators organisms that consume as food fibers dead plants or dead animals, as well as forms which are used for their nutrition dissolved organic substances.
If we talk about the types of heterotrophic nutrition, it should be mentioned holozoic form.Such food is usually characteristic of the animals, and includes the following steps:
- capture food and swallowing.
- digestion.This includes cleavage of organic molecules into smaller particles that dissolve more easily in water.It should be noted that first passes mechanical grinding food (e.g., teeth), followed by exposure to specific digestive enzymes (chemical digestion).
- absorption.Nutrients or immediately fall into the tissue first, or to the blood and then to its current in various organs.
- Assimilation (the process of assimilation).It is to use nutrients.
- Excretion - removing the final products of metabolism, and undigested food.
organisms saprotrophs
As already noted, the organisms that feed on dead organic residues are called saprophytes.For the digestion of food they give out the appropriate enzymes and then absorb substances resulting from such extracellular digestion.Mushrooms - heterotrophs, which is inherent in a saprophytic type of food - it is, for example, yeast or fungi Mucor, Rhizppus.They live in a nutrient medium and secrete enzymes and thin and branched mycelium provides significant absorption of the surface.In this process, glucose is to provide respiratory and fungi energy that is used for metabolic reactions.I must say that many bacteria are also saprophytes.
should be noted that many of the compounds that are formed during food saprophytes, they are not assimilated.These substances enter the environment and then can be used by plants.That is why the activity of saprophyte plays an important role in the cycle of substances.
concept of symbiosis
term "symbiosis" was introduced by scientists Bari, who noted that there is an association or a close relationship between organisms of different species.
So, there are heterotrophic bacteria that live in the gut of herbivorous animals zhuynyh.They are able to digest cellulose, eating it.These organisms can survive in anaerobic conditions of the digestive system and break down cellulose into simpler compounds that host animals are able to digest and assimilate their own.Another example of this can be called a symbiosis of plants and root nodule bacteria of the genus Rhizobium.
If we talk about the coexistence of different organisms, it is necessary to mention the phenomenon of parasitism.During his one (parasite) benefits from such co-existence, the other at the same time - only harm (the owner).Thus, in this case the parasite extracts in order to who live not only nutrients, but also it becomes shelter.
parasites living on the outer surfaces of the host are called ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, or leeches).They are not only a parasitic way of life.Domestic same are obligate.They are characterized by a parasitic existence (it is, for example, pork tapeworm, Plasmodia or liver fluke).
To sum up, it can be argued that heterotrophs - an extremely broad group of beings who not only interact, but also are able to affect other organisms.
