What is the difference between parasitic fungi and parasitic mites?

What is the difference between parasitic fungi and parasitic mites?

• A. Parasitic fungi feed on living tissue taking from a host, while parasitic mites live on a host.
• B. Parasitic fungi are algae; parasitic mites are bacteria.
• C. Parasitic fungi require sunlight; parasitic mites require darkness.
• D. Parasitic fungi are bacteria; mites are viruses.

Answer: (A)

Parasitic fungi and parasitic mites differ in what kind of organisms they are and how they obtain nutrients from a host. Fungi are a separate kingdom of organisms that feed by absorbing nutrients from living tissue; when they parasitize, they penetrate and digest host tissues to take in nourishment. Parasitic mites are tiny arthropods (animals) that live on the host and feed on things like skin debris, oils, or blood, depending on the species. So the key distinction is that fungi feed by absorbing nutrients from the host tissue itself, while mites simply live on the host and feed in other ways as animals. The other statements mix up biological classifications or add irrelevant factors (like sunlight), which aren’t the defining difference.

Parasitic fungi and parasitic mites differ in what kind of organisms they are and how they obtain nutrients from a host. Fungi are a separate kingdom of organisms that feed by absorbing nutrients from living tissue; when they parasitize, they penetrate and digest host tissues to take in nourishment. Parasitic mites are tiny arthropods (animals) that live on the host and feed on things like skin debris, oils, or blood, depending on the species. So the key distinction is that fungi feed by absorbing nutrients from the host tissue itself, while mites simply live on the host and feed in other ways as animals. The other statements mix up biological classifications or add irrelevant factors (like sunlight), which aren’t the defining difference.