heterotroph
[ het-er-uh-trof, -trohf ]
noun
Biology. an organism requiring organic compounds for its principal source of food.
Origin of heterotroph
1- Compare autotroph.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for heterotroph
heterotroph
[ hĕt′ər-ə-trŏf′ ]
An organism that cannot manufacture its own food and instead obtains its food and energy by taking in organic substances, usually plant or animal matter. All animals, protozoans, fungi, and most bacteria are heterotrophs. Compare autotroph.
Other words from heterotroph
- heterotrophic adjective (hĕt′ər-ə-trŏf′ĭk)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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