Briefly describe the three types of heterotrophic nutrition.

Nutrition:

Nutrition is the life process by which a living organism obtains energy and nutrients required for growth, development, and survival. Nutrition can be of two types:

• Autotrophic nutrition - nutrition where organism makes their food.
• Heterotrophic nutrition - nutrition where an organism depends on others for their food.

Heterotrophic Nutrition:

Heterotrophic nutrition can be defined as the type of nutrition where an organism depends directly or indirectly on autotrophs (organisms that can make their food) for their nutrition.

Types of Heterotrophic Nutrition:

Based on the various food obtaining strategies adopted, heterotrophic nutrition of the following three types:

1. Holozoic Nutrition: It can be defined as the type of nutrition where an organism ingests solid or liquid food (complex organic compounds) which gets digested and absorbed subsequently. They are further divided into three categories: Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores. Examples include Deer, Tiger, Humans, etc.
2. Saprophytic Nutrition: It can be defined as the type of nutrition where an organism feeds from dead and decaying organic materials. Examples: Fungi, bacteria.
3. Parasitic Nutrition: It is a nutrition type where an organism is dependent on another organism for its food while causing it harm. Examples include leech, lice, etc.