Difference Between Saprozoic and Saprophytic Nutrition

Key Difference – Saprozoic vs Saprophytic Nutrition
 

In Saprozoic nutrition, the nutrients present in the extracellular environment is directly absorbed into the system through osmosis while in saprophytic nutrition, the organism performs extracellular digestion of decaying organic matter, and then the nutrients are absorbed and assimilated. This is the key difference between Saprozoic and Saprophytic nutrition.

Different species of living organisms possess different modes of nutrition. Through this, they acquire the needed nutrients for their survival. Mode of nutrition is an important aspect in the context of living organisms. Saprozoic and Saprophytic are two such modes of nutrition present in organisms.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Saprozoic Nutrition
3. What is Saprophytic Nutrition
4. Similarities Between Saprozoic and Saprophytic Nutrition
5. Side by Side Comparison – Saprozoic vs Saprophytic Nutrition in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Saprozoic Nutrition?

Sporozoic nutrition is defined as a type of nutrition where the animal fulfills its nutrient requirements through the absorption of simple organic materials and dissolved salts present in the surrounding medium. Mainly protozoa possess this type of mode of nutrition. Some species of Protozoa has the ability to absorb complex organic compounds that are present in a solution through the surface of their bodies under a special type of osmosis process. This unique osmosis process is referred to as osmotrophy.

The basic nutrient requirements of organisms that depend on the saprozoic mode of nutrition are ammonium salts, amino acids, and peptones. The typical saprozoic protozoans include parasitic Monocystis.

What is Saprophytic Nutrition?

Saprophytic nutrition is defined as a mode of nutrition that is present in animals who feed on dead and decaying organic matter. They acquire nutrients through these decaying plant and animal matter through special mechanisms. Initially, they secrete different hydrolytic enzymes that facilitate extracellular digestion.

The end products of this digestive process are then absorbed and assimilated by these saprophytic organisms. These nutrients are then used for different metabolic functions. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, lipids are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol, and starch compounds are broken down into simpler disaccharides. The major groups of organisms that demonstrate saprophytic nutritional mode are fungi and bacteria.

What are the Similarities Between Saprozoic and Saprophytic Nutrition?

• Both Saprozoic and Saprophytic nutrition are modes of nutrition.
• Both nutritions help the organisms to grow, survive and reproduce.
• Both provide essential elements to the organisms.
• Nutritional source of both Saprozoic and Saprophytic Nutrition is dead and decaying organic matter.
• In both, nutrients are taken up by the organisms through absorption.
• Both fulfil the basic nutritional requirement of the organisms.

What is the Difference Between Saprozoic and Saprophytic Nutrition?

Saprozoic vs Saprophytic Nutrition
Saprozoic nutrition is defined as a type of nutrition where the animal fulfills its nutrient requirements through the absorption of simple organic materials and dissolved salts present in the surrounding medium.	Saprophytic nutrition is defined as a mode of nutrition that is present in animals who feed on dead and decaying organic matter.
Parasitism
Some saprozoic organisms show parasitism.	Saprophytes do not show parasitism.
Nutrition Aqcuiring Manner
Saprozoic nutrition occurs via a special type of osmosis.	Saprophytic nutrition occurs via extracellular digestion.
Examples
Most of the protozoans are shown the saprozoic mode of nutrition.	Most of the bacteria and fungi show the saprophytic nutrition.
Mode of Digestion
Absorption of nutrients occurs directly from the external environment available in the soluble form in saprozoic nutrition.	Extracellular digestion, breaking down of compounds, absorption and assimilation occur in saprophytic nutrition.
Enzymes Involved
No enzymes are involved in saprozoic nutrition.	Hydrolytic enzymes for extracellular digestion and enzymes such as amylase, lipase, and protease for breaking down of complex compounds are involved with saprophytic nutrition.
Manner of Breaking Complex Compounds
Compounds are not broken down. Instead, they are directly absorbed in the soluble form in saprozoic nutrition.	Complex compounds are broken down into simpler substances through enzymatic action in saprophytic nutrition.

Summary – Saprozoic vs Saprophytic Nutrition

Saprozoic and Saprophytic are two modes of nutrition performed by protozoans and fungi and bacteria respectively. Saprozoic nutritional mode acquires nutrients directly from the external environment. Saprophytic organisms perform extracellular digestion of decaying organic matter, and the nutrients are then absorbed. This is the difference between saprozoic nutrition and saprophytic nutrition.

Reference :

1.“Nutrition and Protozoa (With Diagram).” Biology Discussion, 2 May 2016. Available here 
2.Lundell, Taina K., et al. “Genomics, Lifestyles and Future Prospects of Wood-Decay and Litter-Decomposing Basidiomycota.” Advances in Botanical Research Fungi, 2014, pp. 329–370.,doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397940-7.00011-2.

Image Courtesy:

1.’Pinocytosis’By Jacek FH (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 
2.’Wild Saprophytes’By Bishalbaral9 – Own work, (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia