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Can fungi make their own food via sunlight like plants?

User Janpio
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Final answer:

Fungi cannot make their own food like plants. They are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients from the environment through absorption. Fungi are more similar to animals in their mode of obtaining nutrition.

Step-by-step explanation:

Fungi cannot make their own food like plants because they do not have chloroplasts and cannot carry out photosynthesis. Fungi are heterotrophs, obtaining their food from outside sources. They absorb their nutrients from the environment through their large surface area.

Unlike plants, fungi do not have structures like xylem and phloem that transfer water and nutrients. Fungi have cell walls made of chitin, while plants have cell walls made of cellulose. Fungi store carbohydrates as glycogen, similar to animals, rather than starch like plants.

Fungi use exoenzymes to break down nutrients in their environment before absorbing the smaller molecules produced. Overall, fungi are more like animals than plants in their mode of obtaining nutrition.

User Buddhi Chamalka
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