Biology · Ecosystems · NEET
Catabolism is a CHEMICAL process. Microbial enzymes break the chemical bonds in detritus and turn complex organic matter into simpler substances. This is different from fragmentation, which is a physical breaking of detritus into smaller pieces. NEET often mixes these two, so remember: fragmentation = physical, catabolism = chemical.
Microbes carry out catabolism. Bacterial and fungal enzymes do the chemical degradation of detritus. Earthworms and other detritivores do NOT do catabolism. Earthworms only fragment detritus (physical breaking). This is a very common NEET trap.
No. Earthworms perform fragmentation, not catabolism. Earthworms break detritus into smaller particles physically. Catabolism is the enzymatic chemical breakdown done by microbes. NEET 2023 tested this exact wrong statement: 'Earthworms break down detritus by catabolism' is FALSE.
Decomposition is the WHOLE process of turning detritus into inorganic substances. Catabolism is only ONE step inside decomposition. The five steps in order are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation. So catabolism is a part, decomposition is the full process.
Catabolism breaks complex organic matter into simpler substances. The microbial enzymes degrade detritus so that it can move to the next steps (humification and mineralisation), which finally release inorganic nutrients like carbon dioxide, water and minerals back to the soil.
Identify the correct statements: A. Detritivores perform fragmentation. B. The humus is further degraded by some microbes during mineralisation. 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.
Detritivores breakdown detritus into smaller particles. This process is called:
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
It is the step where microbial enzymes chemically break detritus into simpler inorganic substances.
Fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation, as given in NCERT Class 12 Ecosystem chapter.
No. Catabolism breaks detritus into simpler substances. The final release of inorganic nutrients happens in mineralisation, the last step.
NEET repeatedly tests catabolism vs fragmentation and the order of the five steps. Knowing that catabolism = microbial enzymatic (chemical) breakdown helps you avoid the earthworm trap.
