Capable of self-nourishment; requiring only minerals for growth; using carbonate or carbon dioxide as a source of carbon and simple inorganic nitrogen as a nitrogen source; -- said of all plants in which photosynthetic activity takes place, and certain bacteria. It is opposed to parasitism or saprophytism.
An organism that makes its own food (as in plants).
An organism that has the capacity to satisfy its requirements for carbon-containing nutrients by the fixation, reduction and incorporation of carbon dioxide from the environment. Green plants, which derive their energy from sunlight through the process of photosynthesis, represent a major group of autotrophic organisms. The terms means "self feeding" in Greek.
the ability to produce organic food without eating other organisms
self-feeding, as in photosynthetic plants.
certain bacteria that synthesize their own foods.
(Of a plant) capable of utilising carbon dioxide or carbonates as the sole source of carbon, and/or organisms that obtain energy for life processes from the oxidation of inorganic elements or compounds such as iron, sulfur, hydrogen, ammonium, and nitrites, or from radiant energy.
Capable of utilizing only inorganic materials as a source of food, as most plants and certain bacteria and protozoans.
Organisms which utilize inorganic carbon for synthesis of protoplasm. Ecologists narrow the definition further by requiring that autotrophs obtain their energy from the sun. In microbiologist parlance, this would be a photoautotroph. See photoautotrophic and chemoautotrophic.
A plant or photosynthesising organism.
of or relating to organisms (as green plants) that can make complex organic nutritive compounds from simple inorganic sources by photosynthesis
a plant that produces its own nourishment
Ability of an organism to nourish itself by utilizing inorganic material from the substrate and atmospheric gases to develop. Green plants and certain microorganisms are autotrophic.
an organism that can meet its cellular energy requirements without eating other organisms. Autotrophic organisms convert inorganic carbon into organic carbon intracellularly (within the cell). This conversion can be accomplished by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. See heterotrophic.
refers to an organism that produces its own food (eg. plants and algae).
Pertaining to organisms able to manufacture their own food from inorganic substances.
self-sustaining, do not require outside food sources (not including inorganics); for example, nitrifying bacteria (the good bacteria) are autotrophic as they only need ammonia or nitrite on which to feed depending on the species.
Refers to organisms that synthesize their nutrients and obtain their energy from inorganic raw materials.
independent of other organisms in respect of organic nutrition; able to fix carbon dioxide, by photosynthesis, to form carbohydrates. cf. epiphyte, parasite, saprophyte.
Designating or typical of organisms that derive carbon for the manufacture of cell mass from inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide).
Of or relating to autotrophs, organisms capable of synthesizing their own food from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy (e.g., green plants, algae, and certain bacteria).
Capable of synthesising complex organic substances from simple inorganic substrates.
Describes organisms that can produce their own nutrients from non-living sources, such as light, water and carbon dioxide [ edit
auto, self + trophe, nourishment