Question

What does autotrophic mean?

Answer 1

Autotrophic Nutrition:

The mode of nutrition by which organisms prepare their own food from simple inorganic matter such as water, mineral salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight.

Two types of Autotrophic Nutrition:

Photoautotrophic Nutrition:

1. The mode of autotrophic nutrition which takes place in the presence of sunlight is called photoautotrophic nutrition.
2. The green plants are photoautotrophs as produce their own food is called photosynthesis.
3. The photosynthetic process is mainly carried out on the leaves of plants, also known as the “plant kitchen”, but in some cases, the stems of plants perform photosynthesis.

Chemoautotrophic Nutrition:

1. The mode of autotrophic nutrition which takes place with the help of chemical energy and without the utilization of sunlight.
2. Many bacteria undergo the oxidation of chemical substances, whether organic or inorganic, to produce chemical energy.

Thus, autotrophic means organisms that prepare their own food.