Saprotroph, also called saprophyte or saprobe, organism that feeds on nonliving organic matter known as detritus at a microscopic level. The etymology of the word saprotroph comes from the Greek saprós (“rotten, putrid”) and trophē (“nourishment”). Saprotrophic organisms are considered critical to decomposition and nutrient cycling and include fungi, certain bacteria, and funguslike organisms known as water molds (phylum Oomycota).
Saprotrophs feed by a process known as absorptive nutrition, in which the nutritional substrate (e.g., dead organism or other nonliving organic matter) is directly digested by a variety of enzymes that are excreted by the saprotroph. The enzymes convert the detritus into simpler molecules, which are then absorbed by the cells to feed the organism.
Major saprotroph groups
Of the major groups of saprotrophs, fungi are among the most efficient at decomposing complex organic molecules and recycling those nutrients back into the ecosystem. Fungi are some of the most-significant decomposers of plant matter, which makes up the vast majority of detritus in terrestrial environments. The bulk of plant tissue consists of cell-wall material, which is made up largely of a complex carbohydrate called cellulose. Cellulose consists of multiple glucose molecules, arranged in such a way that most organisms are unable to efficiently metabolize the compound. Fungi, however, have evolved a suite of enzymes that enable them to digest the complex structure, converting cellulose into simple carbohydrates. That ability plays a critical role in the carbon cycle by enabling the release of carbon dioxide from decaying organisms, and it transforms plant organic matter into substances that both fungi and other organisms can utilize for nutrition.
Fungi that decompose leaves and twigs in organic litter, such as that found on the forest floor, include species of Marasmius and many familiar garden and forest mushrooms. Some fungi, such as Pilobolus, feed primarily on the dung of herbivores. Wood-decomposing fungi, including species of turkey tails (Trametes), oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus), and Ganoderma, can have negative economic consequences to the lumber industry, decomposing both cut timber and the dead bark of living trees. Damage to homes from “dry rot” is caused by the wood-decay species Serpula lacrymans.
Bacteria are well-known decomposers of dead animal flesh and are efficient at converting animal tissues to simpler organic compounds. A number of saprotrophic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, are associated with food-borne illnesses, since meat and other food products are also the kinds of resources they would consume in nature.
Some bacteria, such as Spirochaeta cytophaga, have the capacity to decompose cellulose through absorptive nutrition. Symbiotic cellulose-degrading bacteria are found in the rumen of cows and aid digestion through the fermentation of the cellulose in grass. Similar to fungi, these organisms also have the capacity to partially break down cellulose into intermediate molecules and facilitate the process of decomposition.
Water molds, or Oomycetes, are common in fresh- and saltwater environments throughout the world. Some species, particularly those found in the order Saprolegniales, are saprotrophs and decompose both plant and animal material. Those organisms are considered some of the most-important decomposers in freshwater aquatic environments.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
fungus: SaprotrophismTogether with bacteria, saprotrophic fungi are to a large extent responsible for the decomposition of organic matter. They are also responsible for the decay and decomposition of foodstuffs. Among other destructive saprotrophs are fungi that destroy timber and timber products as their mycelia invade…
angiosperm: Distribution and abundance…few exceptions are either mycoheterotrophs (e.g., the Indian pipe
Monotropa uniflora; Ericaceae) that use connections with mycorrhizal fungi (fungi that form an association with the roots of certain plants) to obtain carbohydrates or parasitic plants that develop specialized roots (…
fungus: Ecology of fungi, saprobic fungi;
see aboveNutrition). The availability of organic food is certainly one of the factors controlling such distribution. A great number of fungi appear able to utilize most types of organic materials, such as lignin, cellulose, or other polysaccharides, which have been added to…
plant disease: Eradication…because they become established as saprotrophs in the soil (e.g.,
Fusariumand Pythiumspecies; Rhizoctonia solani; and the potato scab actinomycete, Streptomyces scabies) or their propagative structures remain dormant but viable for many years (e.g., cysts of cyst nematodes, sporangia of the cabbage clubroot fungus, and onion smut spores).…
bivalve: Food and feeding…bivalve was almost certainly a detritivore (consumer of loose organic materials), and the modern palaeotaxodonts still pursue this mode of life. The posterior leaflike gills serve principally for respiration; feeding is carried out by the palp proboscides, which collect surface detritus.…
More About Saprotroph9 references found in Britannica articles
- In blenny
- food chain
- In food chain
- transmission of disease