autotroph
/ˈɔːtəˌtroʊf/
noun
- An organism that can produce its own food from simple substances like sunlight or chemicals, rather than eating other organisms.
- Some bacteria are autotrophs that get energy from chemicals like sulfur instead of sunlight.
- Plants are autotrophs because they use sunlight to make their own food through photosynthesis.
- Algae in the ocean are important autotrophs that form the base of many food webs.
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