WAEC Biology 2010 Theory — Question 7

Model answer

Epiphytes grow on other plants purely for physical support - they are capable of photosynthesis and do not absorb manufactured food from the host plant. Parasites, by contrast, live in or on a host and absorb nutrients (manufactured food) directly from the host, harming it. Parasites that live outside the host are called ectoparasites, while those that live inside are called endoparasites.