Dictionary > Photoautotroph

Photoautotroph

Definition
noun, plural: photoautotrophs
An organism, typically a plant, obtaining energy from sunlight as its source of energy to convert inorganic materials into organic materials for use in cellular functions such as biosynthesis and respiration
Supplement
Autotrophs are the producers in a food chain, such as plants on land or algae in water. They are also referred to as the producers in the food chain and occupy the first trophic level. They are capable of manufacturing their own food by photosynthesis or by chemosynthesis. Thus, autotrophs may be photoautotrophs or chemoautotrophs. Those that synthesize food through the use of light energy are referred to as photoautotrophs. Photoautotrophs such as plants and algae provide nutrition for many forms of life.
Photoautotrophs are autotrophs that produce complex organic compounds such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins with the absorption of light. This process mediated by light is called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process wherein plants absorb light from a light source (e.g. sunlight) and use carbon dioxide, inorganic salts, and water to produce an energy-rich carbohydrate like glucose (C6H12O6) and to produce oxygen (O2) as a by-product. Photoautotrophs are land plants and photosynthetic algae. These organisms have light-capturing pigments such as chlorophyll.
Word origin: photo– (light) + auto (self) + troph (nourishment)
See also:

Related form(s):

  • photoautotrophic (adjective)


  • You will also like...

    Plant biology
    Plant Biology

    Plantlife can be studied at a variety of levels, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, c..

    sponge
    Primitive Animals

    Life, as we know it today, is presumed to have started in the sea and many of them were likely eukaryotic animal-like or..

    bryophyte - sporophyte and gametophyte
    Meiosis and Alternation of Generations

    Plants are characterized by having alternation of generations in their life cycles. This tutorial is a review of plant m..

    Freshwater aquatic plankton
    Freshwater Communities & Plankton

    Planktons are microscopic organisms that live suspended in aquatic habitats. There are two groups: the phytoplanktons an..

    An artistic depiction of a human embryo
    Growth and Development of a Human Baby

    Upon fertilization, a zygote forms and develops into an embryo. This tutorial elaborates on the growth and development f..

    Disturbance on a still water
    Abiotic Factors – Water Conditions

    A still body of water may be disturbed by a variety of factors. One of them is wind. In fact, it is considered as the pr..

    Related Articles...

    No related articles found

    See all Related Topics