Plants that have special devices for trapping and digesting insects are

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the term for plants that trap and digest insects using special structures.

2. Explain the concept Most plants are autotrophs and make their own food by photosynthesis. Some plants grow in soils poor in nitrogen (such as bogs and swamps), so they supplement their nutrition by catching and digesting insects. These are called insectivorous or carnivorous plants. They have special adaptations, for example:

• Venus flytrap: hinged leaves that snap shut
• Pitcher plant (Nepenthes): leaves shaped like a pitcher containing digestive fluid
• Sundew (Drosera): sticky tentacles on the leaves
• Bladderwort (Utricularia): tiny bladder traps

3. Solution: check each option

• A. Carnivorous: Correct. These plants capture animals (insects) and digest them with enzymes.
• B. Symbiotic: This describes two organisms living together for mutual benefit (e.g., legumes and Rhizobium). It does not match.
• C. Parasitic: A parasite lives on or in a host and draws nutrients from it (e.g., Striga, dodder). The host is not trapped or digested by special devices.
• D. Saprophytic: These organisms feed on dead and decaying matter (e.g., mushrooms, moulds).

4. Answer The correct option is A. carnivorous.

5. Exam tip Link the words to the feeding method:

• Carnivorous = catches and eats animals (traps)
• Parasitic = lives on a living host
• Saprophytic = feeds on dead matter
• Symbiotic = both partners benefit

If you see "trap" or "insects" in a JAMB question, think carnivorous or insectivorous plants.