Photoheterotroph vs. Photoautotroph

Photoheterotrophnoun

A heterotrophic organism that uses light for energy but cannot use carbon dioxide as its sole carbon source and thus uses organic compounds from the environment.

Photoheterotroph

Photoheterotrophs (Gk: photo = light, hetero = (an)other, troph = nourishment) are heterotrophic phototrophs – that is, they are organisms that use light for energy, but cannot use carbon dioxide as their sole carbon source. Consequently, they use organic compounds from the environment to satisfy their carbon requirements; these compounds include carbohydrates, fatty acids, and alcohols.

Photoautotrophnoun

(biology) an organism, such as all green plants, that can synthesize its own food from inorganic material using light as a source of energy