Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simple inorganic substances. This process is known as:

The correct answer is Catabolism

Explanation:

• Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus, which is the raw material for decomposition.
• The important steps in the process of decomposition are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation.
  • Fragmentation: This is the initial stage where organic waste and dead matter are broken down by detritivores.
  • Leaching: By the process of leaching, water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts
  • Catabolism: Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is called as catabolism.
  • Humification: Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark coloured amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate. Being colloidal in nature it serves as a reservoir of nutrients
  • Mineralisation: The humus is further degraded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process known as mineralisation