What are autotrophic and heterotrophic?

Answer 1

An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food. It includes all plants, but the majority are unicellular organisms. Autotrophs utilize photosynthesis to produce their food (typically the nutrient glucose). An autotroph is also referred to as a producer. An example of an autotroph is algae.

A heterotroph is an organism that receives its food from other sources. It is a multicellular or unicellular organism. Organisms that are consumers or decomposers are heterotrophs. A parasite is also a heterotroph. A parasite feeds off other organisms for its food. An example of a parasite is a deer tick. An example of a decomposing heterotroph is an earthworm. An earthworm decomposes biological matter in soil for its food. An example of a consuming heterotroph is a bunny. A bunny eats plants for its nutrients.

Plants and some other types of organisms are able to use light energy from the sun to prduce food. Organisms such as plants which make their own food, are called autotrophs (AW-toh-trohfs).

Other organisms, animals, cannot use the Sun's energy directly. These organisms, known as heterotrophs (HET-uh-roh-trohfs), obtain energy from the foods they consume. Impalas, for example, are heterotrophs because they eat grasses, which are autotrophs.

Answer 2

A heterotroph is an organism that cannot produce it's own energy, it gets energy from the things it eats. On the flip side an autotroph is an organism that can produce its own energy, it gets energy from the sun.