What is the simple organism that lacks chlorophyll and cannot make its own food?

What is the simple organism that lacks chlorophyll and cannot make its own food?

• A. Fungus
• B. Organism
• C. Hypha
• D. Habitat

Answer: (A)

Organisms that cannot make their own food rely on absorbing nutrients from other sources; they are heterotrophs. A fungus fits this description because fungi lack chlorophyll and cannot perform photosynthesis. Instead, they feed by absorbing dissolved organic material from their surroundings, often by secreting enzymes to break down matter outside their bodies and then taking up the nutrients. Hyphae are the threadlike structures that make up a fungus, not the whole organism, so they’re not the right choice. A general term like organism is too broad, since it could refer to any living thing, and habitat is a place where organisms live, not an organism itself.

Organisms that cannot make their own food rely on absorbing nutrients from other sources; they are heterotrophs. A fungus fits this description because fungi lack chlorophyll and cannot perform photosynthesis. Instead, they feed by absorbing dissolved organic material from their surroundings, often by secreting enzymes to break down matter outside their bodies and then taking up the nutrients. Hyphae are the threadlike structures that make up a fungus, not the whole organism, so they’re not the right choice. A general term like organism is too broad, since it could refer to any living thing, and habitat is a place where organisms live, not an organism itself.