auxotroph
/ˈɔksəˌtroʊf/
noun
- An organism, such as a bacterium or fungus, that cannot make a particular nutrient it needs to grow and must get it from its environment.
- Scientists use auxotrophs to study how cells use nutrients.
- The auxotroph could not grow on the simple medium because it lacked vitamin B12.
- This strain of bacteria is an auxotroph that requires added amino acids to survive.
Antonyms