Nutritional status of fungi

• Saprophytes

• Parasites

• Mutualists (symbionts)

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Since fungi are heterotrophic they must get their food from other organisms, either living or dead. This slide shows various ways that fungi get their nutrition.

They are categorized by the state of the host, whether dead (saprophyte or saprobe) or living (parasite or mutualist), and by the harm (parasite) or benefit (mutualist) that the fungus gives to a living host. The three terms are further defined in the next three slides.