prototroph

[ proh-tuh-trof, -trohf ]

nounBiology.
  1. a microorganism that has the same nutritional requirements as the parent organism.: Compare auxotroph.

  2. an organism or cell capable of synthesizing all its metabolites from inorganic material, requiring no organic nutrients.

Origin of prototroph

1
First recorded in 1945–50; back formation from prototrophic

Words Nearby prototroph

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024