An organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and sunlight, rather than consuming other organisms.
From auto- (self) + -troph (from Greek trophē, nourishment). Term coined by German scientist Wilhelm Pfeffer to describe organisms that feed themselves.
Autotrophs—plants, algae, and some bacteria—are the foundation of every food chain on Earth; without them creating energy from sunlight or chemicals, life as we know it couldn't exist.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.