Detritus Decomposition & Nutrient Cycling — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2023Detritivores (e.g., earthworm) break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called fragmentation. By the process of leaching, water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts. Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is called as catabolism.
NTA tests your understanding of how detritivores like earthworms break down dead organic matter through fragmentation, not digestion. Students commonly confuse fragmentation with actual nutrient absorption—earthworms only break detritus into smaller particles; bacteria and fungi then mineralize it through catabolism. The key trap is mixing up the roles: detritivores fragment, water leaches minerals downward, and microbes convert organic matter to inorganic nutrients. Remember fragmentation increases surface area for microbial action. This concept appears frequently because it connects decomposition, nutrient cycling, and energy flow—three major ecosystem topics tested in NEET.
This paragraph was tested 2 times in NEET.
(NEET 2023) Identify the correct statements: A. Detrivores perform fragmentation. B. The humus is further degraded by some microbes during mineralization. C. Water soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil and get precipitated by a process called leaching. D. The detritus food chain begins with living organisms. E. Earthworms break down detritus into smaller particles by a process called catabolism. Choose the correct answer:
(NEET 2022 ) Detritivores break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called:
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