auxotrophic
/ˌɔksəˈtroʊfɪk/
adjective
- Describing an organism that cannot produce a specific nutrient it needs and must obtain it from an outside source.
- The bacteria were auxotrophic for tryptophan, so they could not survive without it.
- The auxotrophic mutant required added histidine to grow in the lab.
- Auxotrophic strains are useful for genetic experiments because their needs are easy to control.
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