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., au'to·troph'i·cal·ly adv., au·tot'ro·phy (ô-tŏt'rə-fē) n. |