Heterotrophic Nutrition in Animals
The 5 Steps of Holozoic Nutrition
From Mouth to Waste
Most animals follow holozoic nutrition, where complex solid food is taken in and processed through five distinct biological stages.
Key Points
- Ingestion: Taking food into the mouth/body.
- Digestion: Breaking down complex food into simple soluble forms.
- Absorption: Nutrients passing through intestinal walls into the blood.
- Assimilation: Cells using the absorbed nutrients for energy and repair.
- Egestion: Eliminating undigested waste from the body.