Saprophyte facts for kids

This is a mycelial cord, made of many tiny threads called hyphae. Fungi use these cords to take in food from dead things. All these threads together are called a mycelium.

A saprophyte (say: SAP-roh-fyte) is a living thing that gets its food and energy from dead plants or animals. They are like nature's clean-up crew! This means they eat decaying stuff.

Saprophytes are a type of heterotroph. This is a fancy word for an organism that cannot make its own food. They must get their food by eating other things. In a food chain, saprophytes are consumers.

Many fungi are saprophytes. They break down dead wood, leaves, and other organic matter. Some fungi are parasites, meaning they live on living things. But most fungi are saprophytes.

Lots of bacteria and protozoa are also saprophytes. They help break down dead material too. Even slime moulds are saprophytes. They eat dead stuff and also tiny bacteria.

You might hear other words for saprophyte, like 'saprotroph' or 'saprobe'. The word 'phyte' usually means 'plant'. But true plants do not get their food this way. Fungi and bacteria are not plants. Still, 'saprophyte' is a very common word people use.

Saprophytes release special chemicals called enzymes. These enzymes break down the dead material outside their bodies. Then, the saprophyte can absorb the nutrients and energy it needs.

How Saprophytes Get Food

Saprophytes are amazing at recycling. They play a super important role in nature. Without them, dead plants and animals would pile up everywhere!

Here is how they get their food:

• They find dead organic matter, like a fallen log or a dead leaf.
• They release digestive enzymes onto the dead material.
• These enzymes break down the complex stuff into simpler nutrients.
• The saprophyte then absorbs these simple nutrients.

This process helps return important chemicals back to the soil. These chemicals can then be used by living plants.

Plants That Need Fungi

A heterotroph is any living thing that needs to eat organic material. This material gives them carbon for growing. Some plants do not have chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what plants use to make their own food from sunlight.

These plants cannot make their own food. So, they rely on fungi to help them. The fungi break down organic material for them. This special way of getting food is called myco-heterotrophy.

Some types of orchids and gentians are examples of these plants. They form a special partnership with fungi. The fungi get food from dead matter. Then, they share some of these nutrients with the plant.

See also

In Spanish: Nutrición saprotrófica para niños