Saprotrophs

Part of speech: noun, plural

Definitions

1. Organisms that obtain their nutrients by decomposing organic matter
2. species that derive energy and sustenance from dead and decaying substances
3. life forms that play a vital role in nutrient cycling through breaking down complex organic materials

Etymology: "Saprotrophs" is the plural of "saprotroph", so the most useful thing to explain is the word the singular is built from. Its two parts are "sapro-", from Greek "sapros", meaning rotten or putrid, and "-troph", from Greek "trophos", meaning one who feeds or nourishes. Put together, the term describes an organism that feeds on dead or decaying matter, absorbing nutrients from material that has already died. The pieces are classical Greek, but the compound itself is a modern scientific formation, assembled from those roots to name a feeding strategy that biologists needed a precise label for. Fungi and many bacteria are the classic examples, and their role in returning carbon and nitrogen from dead material to the soil is why the term is used in ecology. The "-troph" element also appears in words such as "autotroph" and "heterotroph", which share the same Greek root for feeding.

Synonyms: decomposers, detritivores, fungi, bacteria