autotrophs
Make their own food
Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances, requiring no other living things to survive.
Plants, algae, and certain bacteria are autotrophs—they convert sunlight or chemical energy into nutrients through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
The term contrasts with heterotrophs, which must consume other organisms for sustenance: Autotrophs form the base of every food chain.
Primitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
- cyanobacteriaPhotosynthetic bacteria producing oxygen
- plantsPhotosynthesizing rooted organisms
- diatomsSingle-celled silica algae
kelp · seaweed · mosses · ferns · green algae · euglena · nitrifying bacteria · extremophiles
Light-harvesting plant pigment
- chloroplastsPhotosynthesis-performing cell structures
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- stomataMicroscopic plant pores
- carotenoidsFat-soluble plant pigments
pigments · photolysis · water splitting · photosystems · light-dependent · stroma
Those who create goods
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
- carbon cycleBiogeochemical element circulation process
energy flow · biosphere · food chain · biotic · carrying capacity · biogeochemical · ecological niche · productivity
Respiration byproduct, photosynthesis fuel
- waterClear essential liquid
- sunlightRadiance from our star
- mineralsInorganic natural solids
- nitrogen fixationConverting inert gas to ammonia
phosphorus · potassium · magnesium · trace elements · nitrates · sulfates · soil nutrients · glucose
Submarine volcanic water jets
- deep-seaOf ocean depths
- chemical energyPower stored in bonds
- hydrogen sulfideToxic gas, foul-smelling
- extremophilesOrganisms surviving extreme conditions
algae
Primitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
- cyanobacteriaPhotosynthetic bacteria producing oxygen
- plantsPhotosynthesizing rooted organisms
diatoms · kelp · seaweed · mosses · ferns · green algae · euglena · nitrifying bacteria · extremophiles · archaea
chlorophyll
Light-harvesting plant pigment
- chloroplastsPhotosynthesis-performing cell structures
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- stomataMicroscopic plant pores
carotenoids · pigments · photolysis · water splitting · photosystems · light-dependent · stroma
producers
Those who create goods
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
carbon cycle · energy flow · biosphere · food chain · biotic · carrying capacity · biogeochemical · ecological niche · productivity · energy transfer
carbon dioxide
Respiration byproduct, photosynthesis fuel
nitrogen fixation · phosphorus · potassium · magnesium · trace elements · nitrates · sulfates · soil nutrients · glucose · organic compounds
hydrothermal vents
Submarine volcanic water jets
- deep-seaOf ocean depths
- chemical energyPower stored in bonds
- hydrogen sulfideToxic gas, foul-smelling
extremophiles · black smokers · chemical reactions · volcanic springs
- food websfood web, food chain, food chains, producer, consumer
- biotreatmentaeration, biofilter, bioreactor, wastewater treatment, nitrification
- ecosystem productivitybiomass, photosynthesis, plant growth, producers, chlorophyll
- soil microbespseudomonas, bacillus, soil bacteria, mycorrhizae, aspergillus
- life formsorganisms, organism, lifeforms, animal, creatures
- nutritionnutrients, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins
autotrophsheterotrophs
Organisms needing external nutrition
consumers · decomposers · parasites · detritivores · secondary consumers