Saprophytic describes an organism that derives nourishment from

• A. Dead or decaying organic matter
• B. Living tissue
• C. Sunlight
• D. Inorganic minerals

Answer: (A)

Saprophytism refers to organisms that obtain nutrients by breaking down dead or decaying organic matter and then absorbing the resulting simple compounds. In fungi, this often involves secreting extracellular enzymes to digest complex materials like cellulose, lignin, and proteins from dead matter, and then taking up the nutrients. This decomposer role is why saprophytes are essential for nutrient recycling in ecosystems.

The other possibilities don’t fit this feeding mode: living tissue would imply parasitism on a host, not breaking down dead material; sunlight relates to photosynthesis, used by plants and some algae, not fungi in saprophytic nutrition; inorganic minerals provide inorganic nutrients but not organic carbon for growth, which is characteristic of saprophytes.