autotrophy

/ˌɔːtəˈtroʊfi/
noun
  1. The process by which a living thing makes its own food from simple substances like sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, without eating other organisms.
    • Autotrophy is essential for life on Earth because it forms the base of most food chains.
    • Plants use autotrophy to create energy through photosynthesis.
    • Scientists study autotrophy in algae to understand how they produce oxygen.
Antonyms
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