▁produce ▁various ▁terms , ▁such ▁as ▁det rit iv ore , ▁det rit oph age , ▁sap rot roph , ▁sap ro phy te , ▁sap roph age , ▁and ▁sap ro be ; ▁their ▁mean ings ▁overlap , ▁although ▁technical ▁dist in ctions ▁( based ▁on ▁phys i olog ic ▁mechan isms ) ▁narrow ▁the ▁sens es . ▁For ▁example , ▁usage ▁dist in ctions ▁can ▁be ▁made ▁based ▁on ▁macro scop ic ▁sw allow ing ▁of ▁det rit us ▁( as ▁an ▁earth w orm ▁does ) ▁versus ▁micro scop ic ▁l ysis ▁of ▁det rit us ▁( as ▁a ▁m ush room ▁does ). ▁ ▁A ▁fac ult ative ▁sap ro phy te ▁appears ▁on ▁str essed ▁or ▁dying ▁plants ▁and ▁may ▁combine ▁with ▁the ▁live ▁path og ens .. ▁ ▁Process ▁▁ ▁As ▁matter ▁decom poses ▁within ▁a ▁medium ▁ ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁sap rot roph ▁is ▁res iding , ▁the ▁sap rot roph ▁breaks ▁such ▁matter ▁down ▁into ▁its ▁compos ites . ▁▁ ▁Prote ins ▁are ▁broken ▁down ▁into ▁their ▁am ino ▁acid ▁compos ites ▁through ▁the ▁breaking ▁of ▁pe pt ide ▁b onds ▁by ▁prote ases . ▁ ▁Lip ids ▁are ▁broken ▁down ▁into ▁fat ty ▁ac ids ▁and ▁g ly cer ol ▁by ▁lip ases . ▁ ▁St arch ▁is ▁broken ▁down ▁into ▁pieces ▁of ▁simple ▁dis ac char ides ▁by ▁am yl ases . ▁ ▁These ▁products ▁are ▁re - abs or bed ▁into ▁the ▁hy pha ▁through ▁the ▁cell ▁wall ▁by ▁end oc yt