Nutrition in Amoeba

Amoeba is a unicellular animal that lives in water. It eats microscopic plants/animals floating in its surroundings. This mode of nutrition is called Holozoic nutrition..The process of obtaining food by an amoeba (or any unicellular organism) is called phagocytosis .

Ingestion:

  • An amoeba does not have a mouth. It ingests food using its pseudopodia .
  • Pseudopodia are temporary figure like projections. 
  • They engulf the food particle with some water to form a vacuole .

 

Digestion:

  • It releases digestive enzymes in the vacuole which break down food into small, soluble molecules.

 

Absorption:

  • This digested food is absorbed into cytoplasm by diffusion. After diffusion, the food vacuole disappears. 

 

Assimilation:

  • The energy obtained from the food is used for the growth and development of amoeba and this is known as assimilation.

 

Egestion:

  • When a considerable amount of undigested food accumulates inside the amoeba, it’s cell membrane ruptures and the waste is discarded

Different stages in the nutrition (feeding) of Amoeba - Teachoo.jpg

Nutrition in Paramecium 

Paramecium is also a unicellular organism that lives in water. 

Ingestion:

  • Paramecium has hair-like structures called cillia that it uses to sweep food particles from water and put them into its mouth .
  • The cilia move back and forth to move the food particle towards the mouth. The process is known as ingestion

 

Digestion:

  • It releases digestive enzymes in the vacuole which break down food into small, soluble molecules.

 

Absorption

  • This digested food is absorbed into cytoplasm by diffusion. After diffusion, the food vacuole disappears. 

 

Assimilation:

  • The energy obtained from the food is used for the growth and development of amoeba and this is known as assimilation.

 

Egestion:

  • When a considerable amount of undigested food accumulates inside the amoeba, it’s cell membrane ruptures and the waste is discarded

NUTRITION IN PARAMECIUM - Teachoo.jpg

In multicellular organisms, the similar  digestive processes are carried out by a combination of digestive organs.This group of organs is called the Digestive System .

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Maninder Singh

CA Maninder Singh is a Chartered Accountant for the past 14 years and a teacher from the past 18 years. He teaches Science, Economics, Accounting and English at Teachoo