What does saprophyte mean?

Definitions for saprophyte
ˈsæp rəˌfaɪtsapro·phyte

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word saprophyte.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. saprophyte, saprophytic organismnoun

    an organism that feeds on dead organic matter especially a fungus or bacterium

Wiktionary

  1. saprophytenoun

    Any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.

Wikipedia

  1. saprophyte

    Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi (for example Mucor) and soil bacteria. Saprotrophic microscopic fungi are sometimes called saprobes; saprotrophic plants or bacterial flora are called saprophytes (sapro- 'rotten material' + -phyte 'plant'), although it is now believed that all plants previously thought to be saprotrophic are in fact parasites of microscopic fungi or other plants. The process is most often facilitated through the active transport of such materials through endocytosis within the internal mycelium and its constituent hyphae.Various word roots relating to decayed matter (detritus, sapro-), eating and nutrition (-vore, -phage), and plants or life forms (-phyte, -obe) produce various terms, such as detritivore, detritophage, saprotroph, saprophyte, saprophage, and saprobe; their meanings overlap, although technical distinctions (based on physiologic mechanisms) narrow the senses. For example, usage distinctions can be made based on macroscopic swallowing of detritus (as an earthworm does) versus microscopic lysis of detritus (as a mushroom does).

ChatGPT

  1. saprophyte

    A saprophyte is an organism, typically a fungus or bacterium, that feeds on decaying organic matter. They play a crucial role in decomposition and nutrient cycling in an ecosystem.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Saprophytenoun

    any plant growing on decayed animal or vegetable matter, as most fungi and some flowering plants with no green color, as the Indian pipe

  2. Etymology: [Gr. sapro`s rotten + fyto`n a plant.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Saprophyte

    sap′rō-fīt, n. a plant that feeds upon decaying vegetable matter.—adjs. Saprophyt′ic, Saproph′ilous.—adv. Saprophyt′ically.—n. Sap′rophytism. [Gr. sapros, rotten, phyton, a plant.]

How to pronounce saprophyte?

How to say saprophyte in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of saprophyte in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of saprophyte in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8


Translations for saprophyte

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for saprophyte »

Translation

Find a translation for the saprophyte definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"saprophyte." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/saprophyte>.

Discuss these saprophyte definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for saprophyte? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    saprophyte

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    remove completely from recognition or memory
    A efface
    B elaborate
    C scarper
    D famish

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for saprophyte: