D. A. V.

SCHOOL
Sree Nandeeswarar campus
Adambakkam, Chennai - 600088

Chapter 1 – Nutrition in plants

PART B – HETEROTROPHIC NUTRITION IN
PLANTS

1. Give an example of a total parasite. (1m)

Ans. Cuscuta.

2. Differentiate between total parasite and partial parasite(3m)

Ans.
TOTAL PARASITE PARTIAL PARASITE
Plants that depends totally These plants can make their
on the host plant for food own food but depend on host
and water. for water and certain nutrients.
Eg. Cuscuta Eg. Mistletoe.

3. What is heterotrophic nutrition? What are the different

types of heterotrophic nutrition found in plants? Define and
explain each giving examples. (5m)
Ans. The process of taking food from green plants directly
or indirectly is called heterotrophic nutrition.
There are four types of heterotrophic nutrition in plants:
• PARASITIC PLANTS: Plants that depend on other
plants for food and water. The plants on which the
parasitic plant grows is called the host plant. They have
 specialized roots that penetrate into the body of the host
plant and absorb nutrients and water from it called
haustoria. There are two types of parasitic plants. They
are – Total Parasites –Eg. Cuscuta
Partial Parasites - eg. Mistletoe.
• INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS: Plants which feed on
insects to get their supply of nutrients are called as
insectivorous plants. Eg. Pitcher plant, venus flytrap,
drosera and utricularia.
• SYMBIOTIC PLANTS: Symbiosis is a association of
two different organisms in which both are benefited. Eg.
Lichen and Leguminous plants.
• SAPROPHYTES: Plants which live on dead or decaying
organic matter and derive their food from it are called
saprophytes. Eg. Indian pipe and Neottia.

EXTRA QUESTIONS:

1. How does a pitcher plant trap insects? (3m)

Ans.
• Pitcher plant has leaves that are shaped like huge pots or
beakers with lids.
• Insects slip into the pitcher and drown in the well of
nectar when they alight on its rim.
• The lid gets closed and the insect is digested inside the
pitcher.
 2. What is lichen?(2m)
Ans. Lichen is a combination of an alga and fungus. The
fungus absorbs water and minerals to share with the alga
whereas the alga supplies food to the fungus.
It is the typical example of symbiosis.

Book Back Exercise

I. Tick the correct answers:
1. __________ is released during photosynthesis.
a. Carbon di oxide
b. Nitrogen
c. Oxygen
d. Hydrogen

2. The chlorophyll is a tiny structure located in the______.

a. Cells of leaves
b. Chlorophyll
c. Animal cell
d. Cells of roots.
3. A lichen is an example of_____.
a. Insectivorous plant
b. Symbiosis
c. Parasitism
d. Saprotrophic nutrition
4. A mistletoe is a/an _______.
a. Total parasite
b. Partial parasite
c. Saprotroph
d. Autotroph
 5. A pitcher plant and a Venus flytrap are______.
a. Autotrophic plants
b. Total parasitic plant
c. Insectivorous plants
d. Partial parasitic plants.

II Fill in the blanks.

1. Leaves take in carbon dioxide through the stomata.
2. Tubes that carry water from the roots to different plant parts
are called xylem.
3. In a cell, nucleus is surrounded by cytoplasm.
4. A lichen comprises a fungus, an algae and sometimes a
bacterium.
5. The opening and closing of stomata is controlled by guard
cells.

III. Write true or false.

1. Some bacterium are saprotrophs - true
2. Plants can absorb nitrogen directly from the air- false
3. Carbohydrate is made up of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen -
false
4. Rhizobium lives in the leaves of pea plants - false
5. An insectivorous plant has chlorophyll -true

HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS.

Plants help in balancing the oxygen and carbon dioxide ratio in the
air. How?
Ans: plants take in carbon dioxide during the process of
photosynthesis and gives out oxygen . All living organisms,
including plants, take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide during
the process of respiration. Thus, plants help in balancing the ratio
of oxygen and carbon dioxide in nature
Value and life skills:
1. Autotrophs are those organisms that can prepare food inside
their body. Human beings, like other animals ,are incapable of
preparing food inside their body. They can cook food obtained
from plants, animals and other natural sources. Thus, we
cannot classify human beings as autotrophs.
2. The function of the chlorophyll is to trap energy from the
sunlight to prepare food for the plant. we get this energy when
we eat plant food. Hence, the sun is the ultimate source of
energy for all living organisms.