What is saprophyte?
The term saprophyte refers to the type of food that the living organism eats. Sapro means rotten in Greek and phyte means a plant, so saprophyte eats dead organic matter. Some bacteria, several plants and most mushrooms are saprophytes. These organisms can convert a dead organic matter into molds that are easier for other organisms to metabolize, which is essential for maintaining a healthy environment. Sometimes they are also called saprobes.
saprophytes are beneficial for the environment when they break down dead plants and animals. Energy and organic material in dead and decaying organic material can then be converted into energy and recycled nutrients. Sapropophytes are also part of a larger group of organisms called heterotrophs, which means they have to obtain nutrients from the environment. Unlike other organisms that can reap energy from processes such as photosynthesis, they cannot produce their own nutrients, unlike other organisms.
someTeré sponges are saprophytic. They eat dead material and turn it into carbon dioxide, nutrients that help create more mushrooms and other organic molecules. Excess organic molecules produced by saprophyte are released into the environment and these substances enrich the soil. Some of these molecules are organic acids that cannot be easily disassembled and can remain in the soil for centuries.
saprophyte can usually eat substances such as cellulose and lignin of wood that are unstable for many organisms. The molecules that produce mushrooms are easier to use for other organisms. In general, mushrooms grow so long, thin strands that push out because covering more soil allows cells to find more organic matter to eat. Sprophytic fungi are also used in the production of cheeses and some such as penicillium notatum even produce antibiotics. MostSaprophytic fungi do not cause diseases in humans.
bacteria are also separated in groups depending on where they gain their nutrients. Sprophytic bacterial species plays a similar role to fungal species in nutrient recycling. Bacteria that live in the stomachs of animals and decompose dead organic materials are referred to as symbiots instead of saprophytes.
Some plants are saprophytes. These include several types of orchids. Several plants that are reproduced by sending spores are saprophytic at one stage of their life cycles. Some saprophytic plants do not look like plants. For example, a monotropoid subference can look like mushrooms, although they still have flowers.