Some species of plants are insectivorous. Why

Some species of plants are insectivorous. Why?

(a)

Their growth in shady and dark places does not allow them to undertake sufficient photosynthesis and thus they depend on insects for nutrition.

(b)

They are adapted to grow in nitrogen deficient soils and thus depend on insects for sufficient nitrogenous nutrition.

(c)

They cannot synthesize certain vitamins themselves and depend on the insects digested by them.

(d)

They have remained in that particular stage of evolution as living fossils a link between autotrophs and heterotrophs.

Answer:

(b)

Core Books/NCERT

Explanation

Insectivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients by trapping and digesting insects or other arthropods. They usually grow in nutrient-poor environments such as bogs and rocky or sandy soils where they may not get enough nutrients for their growth. Insects are a rich source of nitrogen, which is an essential nutrient for plant growth. These plants have evolved specialized structures to trap insects and produce enzymes to digest them. Some insectivorous plants also have reduced leaves or no leaves at all, as they do not need to perform as much photosynthesis as non-insectivorous plants. The ability to derive nutrients from insects allows these plants to thrive in environments where other plants cannot grow.