autotrophic Hear it!

autotrophic Definition

auto·trophic (ôt′ō träf′ik)

adjective

making its own food by photosynthesis, as a green plant does, or by chemosynthesis, as any of certain bacteria do

Etymology: auto- + trophic

autotrophic Related Forms
au′to·troph′ (-träf′) noun au′to·troph′i·cally adverb
autotrophic Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • organism: Herbivores are predators too, they consume autotrophic organisms, this type of predation is called grazing.
  • nutrition: They make their own food, a process called autotrophic nutrition.