Heterotrophs
Heterotrophs
Heterotrophs (pronounced: /ˈhɛtərəˌtroʊf, -ˌtrɒf/) are organisms that cannot manufacture their own food and instead obtain their food and energy by taking in organic substances, usually plant or animal matter. The term heterotroph originated from the Greek words "heteros" meaning "other" and "trophe" meaning "nourishment".
Etymology
The term "heterotroph" was first used in microbiology in 1946 to classify organisms based on their nutrition. The word is derived from the Greek "heteros" (ἕτερος), meaning "other", "different", and "trophe" (τροφή), meaning "nourishment".
Types of Heterotrophs
Heterotrophs can be further classified into different types based on their food source:
- Carnivores: These are heterotrophs that primarily eat other animals.
- Herbivores: These are heterotrophs that primarily eat plants.
- Omnivores: These are heterotrophs that eat both plants and animals.
- Decomposers: These are heterotrophs that break down dead organic material and wastes.
Related Terms
- Autotrophs: These are organisms that can produce their own food from inorganic substances.
- Photosynthesis: This is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll pigments.
- Chemosynthesis: This is the process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Heterotrophs
- Wikipedia's article - Heterotrophs
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski