saprotroph

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Organism that feeds on the excrement or the dead bodies or tissues of others. They include most fungi (the rest being parasites); many bacteria and protozoa; animals such as dung beetles and vultures; and a few unusual plants, including several orchids. Saprotrophs cannot make food for themselves, so they are a type of heterotroph. They are useful scavengers, and in sewage farms and refuse dumps break down organic matter into nutrients easily assimilable by green plants.

The Pillars of Hercules represent the promontories of Gibraltar and Ceuta. The shield represents the regions of Castile, Léon, Aragón, Navarre, and Granada. Effective date: 18 December 1981. >>