Question

how do plants and animals differ in how they take up nutrients? group of answer choices plants take up simple chemicals, which they synthesize into larger molecules; animals take up larger, more complex molecules. plants need to take in nitrogen-containing molecules, but animals do not. plants take up complex molecules; animals take up relatively simple chemicals and synthesize larger molecules. plants must absorb all 20 amino acids, whereas animals are able to synthesize all amino acids.

Answer 1

Plants obtain nutrients through photosynthesis, while animals obtain nutrients by consuming other organisms. Animals must convert consumed food into the necessary simple molecules through digestion and absorption.

Step-by-step explanation:

All living organisms need nutrients to survive. While plants can obtain nutrients from their roots and the energy molecules required for cellular function through the process of photosynthesis, animals obtain their nutrients by the consumption of other organisms.

At the cellular level, the biological molecules necessary for animal function are amino acids, lipid molecules, nucleotides, and simple sugars. However, the food consumed consists of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates. Animals must convert these macromolecules into the simple molecules required for maintaining cellular function. The conversion of the food consumed to the nutrients required is a multistep process involving digestion and absorption. During digestion, food particles are broken down to smaller components, which are later absorbed by the body.