Question

Which of the following types of nutrition occurs in Ascaris?
A. Saprozoic
B. Parasite
C. Holozoic
D. Mixotrophic

Answer 1

Ascaris is a parasitic nematode worm. They are small intestine roundworms. Ascaris lumbricoides is responsible for causing Ascariasis in humans.

Complete answer: When eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides are ingested they hatch and undergo pulmonary migration into the gut of human beings. On reaching the intestinal gut it converts into an adult. Adult Ascaris lumbricoides worm feed on partially digested food and secrete some protective enzyme which protects itself from digesting by host enzyme.

Symptoms for Ascariasis include fatigue, severe abdominal pain, abdominal swelling.
Parasitic mode of nutrition is where the parasite lives on or inside the body of the host. Feed on the nutrition of the host body directly. Examples of Parasitic mode of nutrition are lice, roundworms.
The saprozoic mode of nutrition is where the organism receives its nutrition from dead and decaying matter. An example of a Saprozoic mode of nutrition is the spider, housefly.
Holozoic mode of nutrition is where the organism ingests food from the mouth. Example for Holozoic mode of nutrition is human, cow, cat.
Mixotrophic mode of nutrition is where the organism can use a different source of energy and carbon. Example, Euglena.
So, the correct answer to the given question becomes option B. Parasite.

Note: Organism from which the parasite gains the nutrition is called the host. For survival, the parasite depends on the host completely. Depending on where parasites live they can be classified into two categories namely Ecot-parasite if it lives on the body of the host and Endo-parasite if it lives inside the host's body.