Question

Compare and contrast the nutritional mode of a fungus with your own nutritional mode.

Short answer

A fungus is considered a heterotroph which is the same as a human. Many fungi can externally digest their food with the help of enzyme secretion. They secrete the enzyme into the food and absorb the small molecules.

The small food molecules (that result from the digestion process) are absorbed directly. Many fungi can absorb those small molecules directly via the environment.

Humans can take large food molecules compared to a fungus. They digest those large food particles inside their body with the help of enzymes.

Step-by-step solution

Fungus and its characteristics

A fungus is a species group that will produce spores and is considered a eukaryotic organism. Cells of a fungus have organelles (bound with membrane) and well-defined, small nuclei. These organisms do not have chlorophyll and have unique structures.

A fungus can be filamentous and can’t perform photosynthesis due to the absence of chlorophyll.

The digestive system of humans

During the digestion process of humans, food molecules are broken down into small fragments. In the absorption stage, nutrients are absorbed by the digestive organs (mostly the small intestine).

The bloodstream absorbs the food particles, and the distribution of those absorbed nutrients to the body tissues also occurs.

Nutritional mode for fungus and humans 

Depending on the mode of nutrition, fungi have three groups: saprophytic, symbiotic, and parasitic. Saprophytic fungi receive their nutrition from organic substances (such as Aspergillus, Rhizopus).

Parasitic fungi live on other organisms and absorb nutrition from those living organisms or their hosts. Symbiotic fungi develop a relationship that is interdependent and has mutual benefits.

Humans have a nutritional mode called heterotrophic nutritionbecause they can’t produce their food and depend on other organisms. Similarly, all the fungi are also heterotrophic.