Question

which is correct and why??.
A)all saprophytes can be said decomposers
B)all decomposers can be said saprophyte

Answer 1

A)

Answer 2

Decomposition begins at the moment of death, caused by two factors: autolysis, the breaking down of tissues by the body's own internal chemicals and enzymes, and putrefaction, the breakdown of tissues by bacteria...
Most decomposers are bacteria or fungi, though scavengers also play an important role in decomposition if the body is accessible to insects and other animals...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition#Animal_decomposition

Answer 3

so you mean we can say slime mould(saprophyte) is a decomposer..?????
B) is correct

Answer 4

nice try.. :-)

Answer 5

a chemical or enzyme wouldn't be a saprophyte

Answer 6

but is a decomposer

Answer 7

plz give me more info as opposing my ans

Answer 8

can you give me the name of any chemical or enzyme.. plz

Answer 9

Digestive enzymes...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autolysis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_enzyme
Gastric Acid ( Hydrochloric Acid {HCl})

Answer 10

proteases and peptidases split proteins into their monomers, the amino acids.

lipases split fat into three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule.

carbohydrases split carbohydrates such as starch and sugars into simple sugars such as glucose, the simplest sugar on earth.

nucleases split nucleic acids into nucleotides.

Answer 11

but how can we say HCL is a decomposer its new for me

Answer 12

it dissolves flesh

Answer 13

decomposer means taking nutrient from dead host.. as i m a still sschool kid

Answer 14

dnt get it till.. plz can u explain me more

Answer 15

The acid plays a key role in digestion of proteins, by activating digestive enzymes, and making ingested proteins unravel so that digestive enzymes can break down the long chains of amino acids.

Answer 16

hmmmmm

Answer 17

but they were only detroying not taking nutreints from dead

Answer 18

yes I see the wiki definition of a decomposer would support B

Answer 19

checking a few other sources, they agree with you and B as the answer.

Answer 20

ok.. but if u get a point which favour A plz tell me coz i like to know new things.. n thnx hope i dnt irritated u a lot.. :-)

Answer 21

no its good it made me look further, I just used what I thought I knew as the definition of decomposer

Answer 22

from a biological point of view my definition is too wide

Answer 23

ok..right now i gotta go next time we will definitely talk about ur definition may be it will help me in future right now bye....

Answer 24

slime molds: Slime molds have been found all over the world and feed on microorganisms that live in any type of dead plant material. For this reason, these organisms are usually found in soil, lawns, and on the forest floor.

Slime molds were formerly classified as fungi, but are no longer considered part of this kingdom...
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/slimemolds.html

Answer 25

cya

Answer 26

aprophytes are organisms that feed on dead organic matter in the soil. Decomposers are organisms that breakdown, complex organic matter into simpler mineral components. Now although a number of books list saprophtyes as a type of decomposers also, there is a suttle difference. To understand, exaine this.an elephant dies, a huge mass of organic matter, very complex.now, if bacteria begin to decompose it, they break it down immediately to ver simpler components, but then suppose fungi start growing on it, they too do the same, but now if they start growing fruiting structures, they recompose the simpler substances derived into more complex ones, but much less complex than the animal proteins in the elephant.besdies the fruiting strucures of the fungi decompose after death much faster, thereby making the entire decomposition of the elephant faster.in a sense, saprophytes can be said to make decomposition faster, plants like monatropa and wulshelegalia that are saprophytes in the soil, may seem to perfro the opposite function, but for all theoretical generalisations we say that saprophytes are also decomposers, and een though they are considered a separate niche in the ecosystem, they are merely in the path to decomposition

Answer 27

I'd have to agree with ManInBlack. If one of the above answers has to be right, then it's A. All decomposers cannot be said to be saprophytes, but all saprophytes can be said to be decomposers. Decomposers can be fungi or bacteria as well, and therefore B cannot be the answer. "They (saprophytes) should be distinguished from other decomposers, such as many species of bacteria, fungi and protists, unable to ingest discrete lumps of matter" (taken from wikipedia article defining saprophytes)

Answer 28

oh dear, its kind of subtle, too subtle for me any longer tonight.

Answer 29

The answer is A. All saprophytes are decomposers because they feed on dead and decaying matter. B cannot be true because the definition of saprophytes says that they are organisms that secrete digestive juices on dead and decaying matter and feed on them. But then microbes are also decomposers and they do not feed in such a manner. So the right option is A as all decomposers are not saprophytes.