Photoautotrophic organisms, such as algae and vascular plants, can exhibit a very wide range of physiological plasticity in elemental composition and thus have relatively weak stoichiometric homeostasis. In contrast, other organisms, such as multicellular animals, have close to strict homeostasis and they can be thought of as having distinct chemical composition. For example, carbon to phosphorus ratios in the suspended organic matter in lakes (i.e., algae, bacteria, and detritus) can vary between 100 and 1000 whereas C:P ratios of Daphnia, a crustacean zooplankton, remain nearly constant at 80:1.
Phototrophic organisms, such as algae and vascular plants, exhibit considerable adaptability in their elemental composition, resulting in loose chemical balance. In contrast, other organisms, like multicellular animals, have near-strict homeostasis and a distinct chemical identity. This is exemplified by the varying carbon to phosphorus ratios in lake suspended organic matter (100-1000) versus the nearly constant ratio of 80:1 in Daphnia.