photoautotroph

American

[foh-toh-aw-tuh-trof, -trohf] / ˌfoʊ toʊˈɔ təˌtrɒf, -ˌtroʊf /

noun

Biology.

any organism that derives its energy for food synthesis from light and is capable of using carbon dioxide as its principal source of carbon.

photoautotroph Scientific

/ fō′tō-ô′tə-trŏf′,-trōf′ /

See phototroph

Other Word Forms

photoautotrophic adjective

Etymology

Origin of photoautotroph

First recorded in 1945–50; photo- + autotroph

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Studies of cultures of —the most abundant photoautotroph in the oligotrophic oceans—show that vesicles are continually released by this cyanobacterium and are abundant in the marine environment.

From Science Magazine

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023