An organism, which is normally a parasite, but is also capable of acting as saprophyte in the absence of its host, is called :

Options

A. obligate parasite
B. obligate saprophyte
C. facultative parasite
D. facultative saprophyte

Explanation

To solve the question about the type of organism that is normally a parasite but can act as a saprophyte in the absence of its host, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand Key Terms**:
- **Parasite**: An organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food at the expense of its host.
- **Saprophyte**: An organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter.
- **Obligate**: Refers to organisms that are strictly dependent on a particular mode of nutrition.
- **Facultative**: Refers to organisms that can switch between different modes of nutrition depending on environmental conditions.

2. **Analyze the Options**:
- **Option A: Obligate Parasite**: This type of organism is completely dependent on a living host for its nutrition and cannot survive without it. This does not fit the description given in the question.
- **Option B: Obligate Saprophyte**: This type of organism relies entirely on dead organic matter for nutrition. This also does not match the question's criteria.
- **Option C: Facultative Parasite**: This refers to organisms that can feed on both living hosts and dead organic matter, but they are primarily dependent on the host. This is not what the question describes.
- **Option D: Facultative Saprophyte**: This type of organism is primarily a parasite but can switch to a saprophytic mode of nutrition when the host is not available. This fits the description in the question perfectly.

3. **Conclusion**:
Based on the analysis of the options, the correct answer is **Option D: Facultative Saprophyte**. This organism can act as a parasite under normal conditions and as a saprophyte when conditions are unfavorable for parasitism.