Fungi such as bread moulds and mushrooms cannot take in solid food the way animals do. How do they obtain nut…

Question

Fungi such as bread moulds and mushrooms cannot take in solid food the way animals do. How do they obtain nutrition from the food source around them?

Accepted Answer

## Model Answer Fungi secrete digestive enzymes onto the food source, break it down outside their body into simpler substances, and then absorb these nutrients. This is called **saprotrophic** (extracellular) nutrition. *Source: Chapter 5, Section 5.2.2 – Heterotrophic Nutrition* --- ## Explanation The key phrase from the textbook is: *"Some organisms break down the food material outside the body and then absorb it"* — fungi are the given example. Examiners expect the two steps: **external digestion** (secreting enzymes outside) and **absorption**. Mentioning the term "saprotrophic" can fetch full credit. Avoid writing about internal digestion — that applies to animals, not fungi.

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