Green (from chlorophyll) fronds of a maidenhair fern: a photoautotroph

Flowchart to determine if a species is autotroph, heterotroph, or a subtype

An autotroph (from the Greek autos = self and trophe = nutrition) is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules and an external source of energy, such as light or chemical reactions of inorganic compounds. Autotrophs are considered producers in a food chain. Plants and other organisms that carry out photosynthesis are phototrophs (or photoautotrophs). Bacteria that utilize the oxidation of inorganic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonium or ferrous iron as an energy source are chemoautotrophs (some are known as lithotrophs). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 667 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Autotroph Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 667 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Autotroph Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File links Troph_flowchart. ... Image File history File links Troph_flowchart. ... A simple flowchart for what to do if a lamp doesnt work A flowchart (also spelled flow-chart and flow chart) is a schematic representation of an algorithm or a process. ... Flowchart to determine if a species is autotroph, heterotroph, or a subtype A heterotroph (Greek heterone = (an)other and trophe = nutrition) is an organism that requires organic substrates to get its carbon for growth and development. ... “Life on Earth” redirects here. ... Benzene is the simplest of the arenes, a family of organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon and hydrogen; therefore, carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon are not organic (see below for more on the definition controversy... 3D (left and center) and 2D (right) representations of the terpenoid molecule atisane. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ... Phototrophs or photoautotrophs are photosynthetic algae, fungi, bacteria and cyanobacteria which build up carbon dioxide and water into organic cell materials using energy from sunlight. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Hydrogen sulfide (hydrogen sulphide in British English), H2S, is a colorless, toxic, flammable gas that is responsible for the foul odor of rotten eggs and flatulence. ... A ball-and-stick model of the ammonium cation Fumes from hydrochloric acid and ammonia forming a white cloud of ammonium chloride Ammonium is also an old name for the Siwa Oasis in western Egypt. ... Chemotrophs are organisms that obtain energy by the oxidation of electron donating molecules in their environments. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lithoautotroph. ...

Autotrophs are a vital part of the food chains of all ecosystems. They take energy from the environment (sunlight or inorganic sources) and use it to process carbon-based and other organic molecules that are used to carry out various biological functions such as cell growth. Other organisms, called heterotrophs, utilize autotrophs as food to carry out these same functions. Thus, heterotrophs — animals, fungi, as well as most bacteria and protozoa — depend on autotrophs for both energy and raw materials to make complex organic molecules. This mechanism is called primary production in the sea. Heterotrophs obtain energy by breaking down organic molecules obtained in food. Carnivorous animals ultimately rely on autotrophs because the energy and organic building blocks obtained from their prey comes from autotrophs they preyed upon. A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ... Flowchart to determine if a species is autotroph, heterotroph, or a subtype A heterotroph (Greek heterone = (an)other and trophe = nutrition) is an organism that requires organic substrates to get its carbon for growth and development. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica about: Protozoa Protozoa (in Greek proto = first and zoa = animals) are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article deals with meat-eating animals. ...

There are some species of organisms that require organic compounds as a source of carbon, but are able to use light or inorganic compounds as a source of energy. Such organisms are not defined as autotrophic, but rather as heterotrophic. An organism that obtains carbon from organic compounds but obtains energy from light is called a photoheterotroph, while an organism that obtains carbon from organic compounds but obtains energy from the oxidation of inorganic compounds is termed a chemoheterotroph. Benzene is the simplest of the arenes, a family of organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon and hydrogen; therefore, carbides, carbonates, carbon oxides and elementary carbon are not organic (see below for more on the definition controversy... For other uses, see Carbon (disambiguation). ... Photoheterotroph Photoheterotrophs are organisms which use light for energy, but cannot use carbon dioxide as their sole carbon source. ... A chemoheterotroph is an organism that must consume organic molecules for both energy and carbon. ...

See also

• Heterotrophic
• Mixotrophic
• Primary nutritional groups
• Saprotrophic