A mushroom gains it’s energy by decomposing the tissues of dead organism. Should mushrooms be classified as autotrophs, heterotrophs in both groups, or in neither group and for what reason?

A. They are autotroph because they do not eat their food , as animal do

B. They are autotroph because decomposition is very similar to photo synthesis
C. They are heterotrophs because their food is made by other organisms
D. They are both autotrophs and heterotrophs, because they may grow in sunlight or darkness

Because mushrooms require obtaining food from other sources, it should be considered that they are heterotrophs because their food is made by other organisms (option C).

Explanation:

Mushrooms are the sporocarps of multicellular eukaryotic organisms belonging to the Fungi kingdom. Unlike plants -which are able to synthesize their own nutrients- mushrooms must acquire nutrients from organic matter, so they are considered heterotrophic.

The nutrition of mushrooms depends on their affinity for living organic matter -in the form of parasites or symbionts- or dead organic matter, performing its digestion through enzymatic degradation. The sporocarp that characterizes the mushrooms, is the visible form of development that can acquire a fungus.

Learn more:

Fungi and mushrooms link