auxotrophic

auxotrophic definition - medical

aux·o·troph·ic (awk-sō-trŏfˈĭk)

adjective
Requiring one or more specific substances for growth and metabolism that the parent organism was able to synthesize on its own. Used with respect to organisms, such as strains of bacteria, algae, or fungi, that can no longer synthesize certain growth factors because of mutational changes.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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