Autotroph vs. Heterotroph

Autotrophnoun

(ecology) Any organism that can synthesize its food from inorganic substances, using heat or light as a source of energy.

Autotrophnoun

an organism which is autotrophic, i. e., an organism (such as most plants and certain microorganisms) which are capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances, requiring only minerals as nutrients for growth, and using carbonate or carbon dioxide as a source of carbon and simple inorganic nitrogen as a nitrogen source; the energy required is derived from photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Opposed to heterotroph. See also auxotroph.

Autotrophnoun

plant capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances

Autotrophnoun

an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

Autotroph

An autotroph or primary producer is an organism that produces complex organic compounds (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) using carbon from simple substances such as carbon dioxide, generally using energy from light (photosynthesis) or inorganic chemical reactions (chemosynthesis). They convert an abiotic source of energy (e.g.

Heterotrophnoun

(ecology) An organism which requires an external supply of energy in the form of food as it cannot synthesize its own.

Heterotrophnoun

an organism that depends on complex organic substances for nutrition

Heterotroph

A heterotroph (; from Ancient Greek ἕτερος héteros and τροφή trophḗ ) is an organism that cannot produce its own food, instead taking nutrition from other sources of organic carbon, mainly plant or animal matter. In the food chain, heterotrophs are primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, but not producers.