HETEROTROPHIC Meaning and
Definition
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Heterotrophic is an adjective used to describe organisms that are unable to produce their own organic compounds or derive energy from inorganic sources. These organisms, known as heterotrophs, rely on the consumption of organic matter produced by other living organisms to meet their nutritional requirements.
Heterotrophs can be broadly classified into two categories based on how they obtain their food. The first category includes organisms that consume living organisms or their byproducts, such as carnivores and parasites. They actively seek out and consume other organisms in order to obtain energy and nutrients.
The second category comprises organisms that derive their nutrition from dead organic matter or the remains of once-living organisms. These are called saprophytic or detritivorous heterotrophs. Examples of saprophytes are fungi and some bacteria that decompose dead plants or animals to obtain their nutrients, playing a vital role in nutrient recycling within ecosystems.
Heterotrophic organisms play a crucial role in the food chain as consumers, helping to maintain the balance of energy flow within ecosystems. They are often distinguished from autotrophic organisms, which are capable of producing their own organic compounds through processes like photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
In summary, the term heterotrophic refers to organisms that rely on the consumption of organic matter produced by other living or dead organisms to meet their nutritional needs, as opposed to producing their own organic compounds.
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Noting bacteria and other low forms of plant life which are unable to form protein and carbohydrates, as the green plants are, from inorganic carbon and nitrogen; distinguished from autotrophic.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for HETEROTROPHIC
Etymology of HETEROTROPHIC
The word "heterotrophic" has its roots in two Greek words: "hetero", meaning "other" or "different", and "trophē", meaning "nourishment" or "food".
In biology, "heterotrophic" refers to organisms that cannot produce their own food through photosynthesis and instead obtain nutrients by consuming other organisms or organic matter. The term was originally coined by German botanist Albert Bernhard Frank in the late 19th century, combining these Greek components to describe a specific mode of nutrition in living organisms.
Similar spelling words for HETEROTROPHIC
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