In the domain Eukarya, how do fungi typically obtain their food?

• A. They perform photosynthesis using chloroplasts to produce sugars from carbon dioxide and water.
• B. They ingest and internally digest food particles by phagocytosis like many protozoa.
• C. They secrete digestive enzymes into their environment and absorb the resulting dissolved nutrients (absorptive heterotrophy).
• D. They fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia as their primary nutrient source.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nutritional mode of fungi within the domain Eukarya. Fungi are heterotrophic organisms, meaning they cannot produce their own food through photosynthesis.
2. Recall that fungi do not have chloroplasts and therefore cannot perform photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars.
3. Recognize that fungi do not ingest food particles internally like protozoa; instead, they use an external digestion process.
4. Learn that fungi secrete digestive enzymes into their surrounding environment to break down complex organic materials into smaller, soluble molecules.
5. These smaller molecules are then absorbed through the fungal cell walls, a process known as absorptive heterotrophy, which is the typical way fungi obtain their nutrients.