What is the mode of nutrition of mushroom?

Mushrooms belong to the kingdom Fungi and are characterized by a total absence of chlorophyll, making them unable to perform photosynthesis [c1, t8]. Instead, they exhibit a heterotrophic mode of nutrition. Specifically, mushrooms are primarily saprophytic (or saprotrophic), meaning they obtain their nutrients by decomposing dead and decaying organic matter [c1, c5, t3]. They secrete enzymes onto dead substrates to break down complex organic substances into simpler inorganic forms, which are then absorbed [c4, t8]. While some fungi can be parasitic, mushrooms are the classic example of saprophytes that act as decomposers in an ecosystem [c1, c3, t1]. They do not use sunlight (photosynthetic) or chemical energy from inorganic oxidation (chemosynthetic) to produce food [t9]. Thus, their primary mode of nutrition is saprophytic, facilitating the recycling of nutrients back into the soil [c4, t7].

Sources

1. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 9: Indian Biodiversity Diverse Landscape > 2. Fungi: > p. 156
2. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY > Decomposers or Saprophytes > p. 30
3. [3] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 1: Ecology > ii) Micro consumers - Saprotrophs (decomposers or osmotrophs) > p. 7
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5. [5] https://www.wettropics.gov.au/site/user-assets/docs/fungusfacts.pdf