Step 1: External Digestion Explained:
Certain organisms perform external digestion. They release digestive enzymes into their environment to break down food externally before absorbing the resulting nutrients. This enables digestion to occur outside the organism's body, followed by the uptake of smaller, digestible molecules.
Step 2: Identifying the Organism:
The organism under consideration is bread mould (genus Rhizopus), a type of fungus. Bread mould digests food, like bread, externally. It secretes enzymes onto the food, decomposing complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Subsequently, the mould absorbs the simpler nutrients via its hyphae.
Step 3: Conclusion:
The correct identification is bread mould, a saprotrophic organism that utilizes external digestion. Commonly found on decaying organic matter such as bread and other foodstuffs, bread mould is crucial for the decomposition of organic material, releasing nutrients for other ecosystem inhabitants.