Question

Name the type of nutrition exhibited by Amoeba. Explain how food is taken in and digested by this organism.

Answer 1

The digestive system differs in various organisms. In single-celled organisms, the entire surface may take in food. But as the organism's complexity increases, different parts become specialised to perform other functions. Amoeba takes in food using temporary finger-like extensions of the cell surface, which fuse over the food particle, forming a food vacuole. In the food vacuum, complex substances are broken down into simpler ones and diffused into the cytoplasm. The remaining undigested material is moved to the cell's surface and thrown out. In Paramoecium, a unicellular organism, the cell has a definite shape, and food is taken in at a specific spot. Food is moved to this spot by the movement of cilia, which cover the entire cell surface.