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autotroph

[aw-tuh-trof, -trohf] Example Sentences

au·to·troph

[aw-tuh-trof, -trohf]
noun Biology.
any organism capable of self-nourishment by using inorganic materials as a source of nutrients and using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as a source of energy, as most plants and certain bacteria and protists.
Compare heterotroph.


Origin:
1935–40; back formation from autotrophic; see auto-1, trophic

au·to·troph·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Autotroph is always a great word to know.
So is heteronomous. Does it mean:
subject to different laws of growth or specialization
the species of a genus that is regarded as the best example of the generic characters of the genus, from which a genus was originally named
Example Sentences
  • Green plants, algae, and certain bacteria are autotrophs.
Collins
World English Dictionary
autotrophic (ˌɔːtəˈtrɒfɪk)
 
adj
Compare heterotrophic (of organisms such as green plants) capable of manufacturing complex organic nutritive compounds from simple inorganic sources such as carbon dioxide, water, and nitrates, using energy from the sun
 
autotroph
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

autotroph au·to·troph (ô'tə-trŏf', -trōf')
n.
An organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy. Green plants, algae, and certain bacteria are autotrophs.


au'to·troph'ic (-trŏf'ĭk, -trō'fĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
autotroph   (ô'tə-trŏf')  Pronunciation Key 
An organism that manufactures its own food from inorganic substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia. Most autotrophs, such as green plants, certain algae, and photosynthetic bacteria, use light for energy. Some autotrophs, such as chemosynthetic bacteria, obtain their energy from inorganic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide by combining them with oxygen. Compare heterotroph.

autotrophic adjective (ô'tə-trŏf'ĭk, -trō'fĭk)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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