question_answer 7)

Plants and autotrophic can you think of some plants that are partially heterotrophic?

Answer:

Plants are autotrophs, i.e., they prepare their own food through the process of photosynthesis. But, in nature there are also some other plants which are partially heterotrophic, i.e., they partially depend upon another organisms for food requirements, e.g., (i) Loranthus and Viscum are partial stem parasites which have leathery leaves. They attack several fruit and forest trees and with the help of their haustoria draw sap from the xylem tissue of the host. (ii) Insectivorous plants have special leaves to trap insects. The trapped insects are killed and digested by proteolytic enzymes secreted by the epidermis of the leaves, e.g., pitcher plant. (iii) Parasitic plant, e.g., Cuscutta develops haustoria, which penetrate, the vascular bundles of the host plant to absorb water and solutes.