Question

To survive, all animals must _____. A) ingest nutrients from the environment every day of their lives B) digest plant material C) have a complete digestive system D) balance consumption of food with use and storage of nutrients E) hibernate

Answer 1

D) balance consumption of food with use and storage of nutrients

Step-by-step explanation:

Animals are heterotrophic organisms and derive their nutrition from plants and/or other animals. Digestion of ingested food breakdown the nutrients into simpler substances. These simpler forms of nutrients are either oxidized to obtain the energy stored in them or are stored to serve as fuel in the future when the need arrives.

The energy released by the oxidation of nutrients is stored in form of ATP which serves as a source of energy as and when required. For example, glucose can either oxidized to form ATP or may be stored in the liver and muscle cells in the form of glycogen. A balance between the use of nutrients and their storage allows the animals to perform the vital activities by using the energy and to have stored a reservoir of nutrients to be used under emergency conditions.