Why do parasitic plants depend on other plants for nutrition?

Parasitic plants depend on other plants because they cannot produce enough food on their own, mainly due to lack of chlorophyll or incomplete photosynthesis ability.

Key Factors

Factor	Impact	Explanation
Lack of Chlorophyll	No photosynthesis	Some parasitic plants cannot make their own food
Haustoria	Nutrient absorption	Specialized structures that connect to host plant
Dependence on Host	Gets ready-made food	They take nutrients and water directly from host
Reduced Self-Sufficiency	Limited survival alone	Cannot survive independently for long

Stepwise Understanding

1. Parasitic plant attaches to a host plant

2. It develops structures called haustoria

3. These penetrate into host tissues

4. Nutrients and water are absorbed from host

5. Parasitic plant grows using this supply

Important Concept

Parasitic nutrition means obtaining food from another living organism instead of making it independently.

Real Insight

Plants like Cuscuta (amarbel) appear as yellow thread-like structures and completely depend on host, they dont even have proper leaves.

So basically, these plants survive by taking nutrients from others instead of producing it themselves.