Definitions for "Saprotroph"
An organism, especially a bacterium or fungus, that lives by absorbing nutrients from dead organic matter.
See saprobe.
A saprotroph (or saprobe) is an organism that obtains its nutrients from non-living organic matter, usually dead and decaying plant or animal matter, by absorbing soluble organic compounds. Since saprotrophs cannot make food for themselves, they are considered a type of heterotroph. They include many fungi (the rest being parasitic, commensal or mutualistic symbionts), bacteria, and protozoa.