autotrophic
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˌɔːtəˈtrɒfɪk/
- Specialized
:
autotrófico
- Many plants, such as grasses and trees, are autotrophic because they can produce their own food through photosynthesis.
- autotrophic respiration
- autotrophic and heterotrophic
Examples
-
The net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation is defined as gross primary production (organic matter produced by photosynthesis) minus plant autotrophic respiration per unit area per unit time.
Academic text (2009) -
The additional C that flows into the ecosystem at elevated levels of CO₂ is used for the production of plant biomass, stored in SOM, and returned to the atmosphere through autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration.
Academic text (2004) -
The results are almost always worth the slight amount of preparation required, if only to clearly see a plant root system and unequivocally show that plants are truly autotrophic and do not need organic matter from the soil.
Academic text (2001) -
In contrast to classic nitrification, which is an autotrophic, energy-yielding reaction, heterotrophic nitrification does not yield energy.
Academic text (2008) -
Sun, G., & Austin, D. (2007). Completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite in lab-scale constructed wetlands: Evidence from a mass balance study. Chemosphere, 68, 1120-1128.
Academic text (2008) -
An autotrophic organism, like a sunflower, converts sunlight into energy to grow and thrive.
-
Most green algae are autotrophic, using sunlight and carbon dioxide to create food in aquatic environments.
Synonyms
Organisms that make their own food from light or simple chemicals
Getting food by making it from light and simple materials like green plants
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
1
7.4
A living thing that makes its own food from sunlight or chemicals, like plants
How Self-Producing
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Offensive
11
6.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
autotrophic = autotroph (semi-transparent) = auto + troph + ic
The adjective is formed regularly from the technical noun 'autotroph' with '-ic'.
Etymology
The word autotrophic breaks into auto- meaning 'self', as in automatic, and -trophic meaning 'feeding' or 'food', like 'nutrition', so an autotrophic living thing 'feeds itself' by making its own food from sunlight or chemicals.