Organic substances
• Always contain carbon and hydrogen
• include proteins, carbohydrates, lipids
• make up the bodies of living things
Inorganic substances
– do not contain a combination of carbon and hydrogen
– include CO2, H2O, NH3
– can be integrated by living things becoming organic
Step of organic cycling:
• Food is organic matter. When living things eat organic matter it passes into that organism and becomes a part of it.
• When living things die they begin to decay. Decomposers (fungi, bacteria) break down organic matter of dead things into inorganic materials and place them in the soil.
• Plants take inorganic matter out of the soil and atmosphere, integrate that matter into
their bodies and make organic matter for other organisms to use.
Detritus food chain
• Detritus food chain starts from the dead organic matter and ends with inorganic matter.
🔸This consists of decomposers such as bacteria and fungi. These live on the dead matter and decompose the organic matter and convert to inorganic matter, which is helpful for plants to prepare their food.
• Detritus food chain may be connected with the grazing food chain (Starts with green plants and ends with carnivores via herbivores) at some levels. The organisms of detritus food chain may serve as food for the organisms of grazing food chains.
• Certain groups of organisms feed excessively on dead bodies of animals and plants are called as “detrivores” (consists of algae, bacteria, fungi). The groups of detrivores includes Protozoans; Insects; Polychaete worms; Crustaceans – Crab, Shrimps, Amphipods; Molluscans – Clams; Nematode worms etc.
• The energy from the detritus is trapped and the remainder is excreted in the form of simple organic compounds by detrivores. These organic compounds are again used by another set of detrivores until the organic compounds are converted in to CO2 and water.
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