Nutrition In Plants

Nutrition: The process of utilization of food by a living organism to obtain energy is called nutrition​.

​Types of Nutrition:

​Autotrophic Nutrition - The mode of nutrition in which some organisms make its own food by the process of photosynthesis.

Heterotrophic Nutrition - The mode of nutrition in which some plants and animals do not have the ability to make its own food, so they depend on other plants and animals for their nutrition.

Differentiate Autotrophic & Heterotrophic Nutrition

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Autotrophic nutrition is a process where an organism prepares its own food from simple inorganic material like water, mineral salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight.”​

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​The term “autotrophic” is formed by the combination of two terms, “auto” meaning self, and “trophic” meaning nutrition. The literal meaning of this term is self-nutrition.

Few Autotrophic Organisms: Plants, lichens, and algae, etc.,

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​Photoautotrophs: Organisms that derive their energy from light and use it as their sole carbon source. They produce food through a process called Photosynthesis.

Eg. Plants & Algae

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Chemoautotrophs: Organisms that obtain energy by oxidizing inorganic chemical compounds through the process of Chemosynthesis

Eg. Bacteria

​In 1893, Charles Barnes (1858–1910) proposed that the biological process for ‘Photosynthesis. The word “photosynthesis” is derived from the Greek words phōs (pronounced: “fos”) and

σύνθεσις(pronounced: “synthesis“) Phōs means “light” and σύνθεσις means, “combining together.” This means “combining together with

the help of light.

​Photosynthesis is a process by which autotrophs convert light energy

into chemical energy, which is later used to fuel cellular activities. The chemical energy is stored in the form of sugars, which are created from water and carbon dioxide.

​Chemical Equation with Reactants & Products of Photosynthesis

​6CO₂ + 6H₂0 --------> C₆H₁₂0₆ + 60₂

Heterotrophic Nutrition:

It is a mode of nutrition in which the organisms obtain readymade organic food from outside sources. The organisms that depend upon outside sources for obtaining organic nutrients are called heterotrophs. Heterotrophic nutrition is of three types – saprophytic, parasitic and holozoic.​

​Saprophytic or Saprotrophic Nutrition:

It is a mode of heterotrophic nutrition in which food is obtained from organic remains like dead organisms, excreta, fallen leaves, broken twigs, food articles, etc. Organisms performing saprophytic nutrition are called saprophytes.

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​Parasitic Nutrition:

It is a mode of hetrotrophic nutrition in which a living organisms flourishes by obtaining food from another living organism. The lving organisms which obtains food and shelter from another organism is called parasite. The organism which provides food and shelter to a parasite is known as host. An external plant parasite is Cuscuta (Amarbel). It is a non-green plant that sends haustroria or sucking roots into host plant for obtaining food and water.