I. Autotrophic Organisms:
The way it produces organic nutrients from inorganic substances is called autotroph nutrition. It is divided into two groups according to the first energy source used.
1. Photosynthesis autotrophic organisms, green plants and purple bacteria. These get the energy needed for food production from sunlight. CO2 is used as carbon source, H2O, H2S and H2 are used as hydrogen sources.
2. Chemosynthesis autotrophic organisms are bacteria without chlorophyll and they provide the energy they need from special inorganic materials. Thus, instead of the solar energy used in photosynthesis, they make use of the chemical energy they provide from the oxidation of inorganic substances and synthesize organic matter. This event is called chemosynthesis. CO2 is used as carbon source and H2O is used as hydrogen source. Nitrite, nitrate, iron and sulfur bacteria produce nutrients in this way. Chemosynthesis allows some elements to complete their cycle in nature.
II. Both Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Organisms:
Since insectivorous plants live in poor soils by nitrogen salts, they meet their nitrogen needs from insects. Therefore, they are heterotrophic organisms. Insectivorous plants are also autotrophic creatures because they do photosynthesis like green plants.
Euglena synthesizes nutrients by photosynthesis in a light environment, but it is both autotrophic and heterotrophic because it receives organic nutrients from the outside in the dark.
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| Insectivorous Plant |
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III. Heterotrophic Organisms:
All animals, all fungi, and most bacteria are heterotrophs. Since these creatures do not have chlorophylls like green plants, they cannot synthesize organic substances from inorganic substances. These meet organic nutritional requirements from plants and animals. We can examine heterotroph feeding in three groups; holozoic nutrition, symbiosis nutrition and saprophyte nutrition.
Holozoic Nutrition:
If food is eaten, digested and absorbed in solid pieces, as in many animals, this is called holozoic nutrition. Holozoic organisms must constantly seek and find other organisms. To accomplish this, various digestive systems have been developed that will transform various senses, nerves, muscle structures and molecules that are small enough to absorb the food. Some of the Holozoic creatures feed only on vegetable sources, these are herbivorous, some feed only on animal sources, these are carnivorous, some are both carnivorous and herbivorous, and are called omnivorous creatures.
a) Herbivorous:
Herbivorous creatures are the most crowded group in holozoic nutrition, they feed on plants. They use the nutrients they receive from plants that are producers, thereby enabling energy conversion in the food chain. Herbivor creatures become the food source of the carnivores, which are located on the upper step in the food pyramid. Sheep, goats, cows, many fish species and some insects are examples of this group.
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| Goat |
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b) Carnivorous:
The creatures that feed on other animals are called carnivores. Such creatures have to be hunted for feeding. Carnivorous animals feed on herbivorous animals, so they are located on the upper step in the food pyramid. Animals such as lion, leopard, wolf, vulture, eagle are examples of this group.
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| Leopard |
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c) Omnivorous:
The creatures that feed on both vegetable and animal foods are called omnivorous creatures. These creatures generally prefer the food they reach most easily in the environment. Bear, mouse, monkey, human are examples of this group.
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| Bear |
Saprophytic Nutrition:
Saprophytic is a type of heterotrophic. Saprophytes live only in environments with plant or animal remains that have begun to stink. Enzyme systems are very developed. The yeast included in the fungi kingdom are saprophyte microorganisms. They only need inorganic salts, oxygen, some sugars. They make substances such as protein, fat, nucleic acid and vitamins necessary for the continuation of their lives with the energy they produce from the sugar they use. Yeasts can generate energy from glucose in oxygenated and oxygen-free environments. Molds and some bacteria are also examples of this group. Saprophyte bacteria play an important role in the matter cycle in nature (nitrogen cycle). Bacteria that can synthesize B and K vitamins from the human large intestine are also saprophytes.
Symbiosis:
It is called symbiosis life (common life) that two living things of different types live together to survive. Symbiosis life is examined in three groups.
1. Commensalism: (+/0)
It is the type of relationship in which one of the two species living together benefits, but the other type is not affected by this relationship positively or negatively. Echeneis fish, which feed on sharks and small crumbs pouring from the mouth of the shark, are examples of commensalism. When birds build their nests in trees, the tree will not see any visible benefit or damage from this situation, but birds will provide a host.
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| Echeneis Fish on Shark |
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2. Mutualism: (+/+)
Mutualism (mutual benefit) is the way of life in which individuals belonging to two different species living together benefit mutually. Lichens are examples of this lifestyle. In addition, anemone, a sea coral, protects clownfish, which is covered with mucus, with its burning stains, from enemies. Clownfish also keeps the fish that feed on anemones away from anemones, this is an example of mutualism.
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| Anemone Clownfish |
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3. Parasitisms: (+/-)
One of the two different living creatures benefits, while the other suffers. The damaged creature is called a host and the harmful is called a parasite. In compulsory parasites, there is no digestive enzyme, and the digestive system is not developed. All viruses, some worms, fungi, insects and bacteria are parasites.
Reproductive systems have developed in parasitic organisms, their egg-making abilities are high, they have auxiliary organs, they have developed sensory organs such as smell to perceive the host creature, they can benefit for a long time without killing the host creature.
Animal parasites are divided into two as internal and external parasites. Creatures such as lice, fleas and bedbugs are external parasites. Viruses, some bacteria, fungi, a cell and intestinal worms are examples of internal parasites.
Plant parasites: Some plants live on other plants and feed on the organic nutrients they make. Such plants are called full parasites, and the plant they exploit by living is called a host. In full parasitic plants, the leaves have shrunk, they do not have chlorophyll and roots, and their absorption is improved. They extend their specialized organ to both the wood and peel pipes of the host plant. An example of cactus weed on the tobacco plant is an example. Some plants are also semi-parasites. These parasites with chlorophyll take only water and inorganic salts from the host plant. Using them, they make organic compounds such as plants that live independently. Their specialized organ is improved. They extend their specialized organ only to the wood pipes of the host plant. Viscum album that live in trees such as almonds and linden is an example of this group.
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| Viscum album |
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The Original Author: Mrs. Şerife (Erden) SARICA
The Original Author: Mrs. Şerife (Erden) SARICA
