Nutrition and digestion
Nutrition is a process which helps the organism to get substances and energy. The Sun is the source of energy of most organisms. Solar energy gets into the body as heat and light.
Plants synthesize nutrients in their cells with the help of chlorophills. Plants can get nutrients from the soil and from the air. In the soil the root absorbs water and mineral substances and moves them into the leaves. The leaves use carbon dioxide for nutrition. The green pigments, chlorophills, are in the chloroplasts in the leaves. They use solar energy to make organic substances. This process is called photosynthesis.
Plants store solar energy and are very important in the biological cycle.
Animals use solar energy in the plant: some animals use their leaves, the others – their fruits and seeds. These animals are called herbivores (they eat plants). The animals which feed on their animals are called omnivores or predators. Some animals feed on corpses. There are microorganisms which feed on dead organisms. They are called saprophytes. Organisms which can live together are symbiotic (e.g. mushrooms with plants).
Animals have different organs which help them to eat food: jaws help animals to smash food, teeth – to grind food, suctorial proboscis – to suck in food.
There are organisms which take the nutrients from the others and do not give anything back. They are parasites. They can suck blood or live inside the intestines.
Digestion is a process which turns complex organic substances into simple ones and transports them to all parts of the organism.
Nutrition – питание
A substance – вещество
A source of energy – источник энергии
Solar energy – солнечная энергия
Heat – тепло
Light – свет
To synthesize – синтезировать, образовывать
A nutrient – пит. вещество
The soil – почва
To absorb water – всасывать воду
Carbon dioxide – углекислый газ
To store – накапливать
The biological cycle – биол. круговорот
A fruit – плод
A seed – семя
A herbivore – травоядный
An omnivore – плотоядный
A predator – хищник
To feed on – питаться чем-то
A corpse – труп
A saprophyte – сапрофит
Symbiotic – симбионт
A jaw – челюсть
To smash food –раздавить пищу
To grind food – перемалывать пищу
A suctorial proboscis – сосущий хоботок
To suck in food – всасывать пищу
The intestines – кишечник
To turn into – превращать