Meaning & use
Photoautotroph
Last updated
An organism that produces its own organic compounds using light energy, typically through photosynthesis, and carbon dioxide as its carbon source.
See it in a sentence
Green plants and algae are classic examples of photoautotrophs.
Cyanobacteria are photoautotrophs believed to have first oxygenated Earth's atmosphere.
A note on using this word
The word combines 'photo-' (light), 'auto-' (self), and '-troph' (nourishment), describing organisms that feed themselves using light.
Words with an opposite meaning
heterotroph
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