How Do Termites Eat and Digest Wood?
WouterThe way termites digest wood is unique to their physiology. They have a system of hundreds of microbes inside their gut that help them break down wood into simple sugars.
These microscopic organisms are called protozoa. They are present in enormous quantities within the intestines of three different termite families.
Unlike most animals, termites have a system in place to selectively eat the cellulose found in wood. Termites also have a digestive track that includes enzymes that are not normally found in a human body. These special enzymes work together with the bacterial protozoa to break down the cellulose found in wood.
The termite’s digestion of cellulose is one of the largest and most complex processes in the animal kingdom. However, scientists do not know exactly how each of the thousands of microbes involved in the process perform their role.
There are two main groups of termite microbes. The first group are bacteria. These microbes are responsible for destroying and ingesting cellulose. These microbes are the ones responsible for producing the enzymes that allow termites to break down cellulose.
The second group of termite microbes are protozoa. These protozoa are responsible for converting the cellulose in wood into simple sugars. These protozoa are important because they provide the enzymes that allow termites to break wood down.
The cellulose that is contained in wood isn’t very easy for humans to digest. Luckily, for termites, their symbiotic relationship with these protists has allowed them to obtain the nutrients they need to survive.
