heterotroph

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English

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Etymology

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From hetero- (other) +‎ -troph (nutrition).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɛt(ə)ɹə(ʊ)tɹəʊf/, /hɛt(ə)ɹə(ʊ)ˈtɹɒf/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɛtəɹəˌtɹoʊf/, /-ˌtɹɒf/

Noun

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heterotroph (plural heterotrophs)

  1. (ecology) An organism which requires an external supply of energy and nutrients under the form of food containing organic carbon as it cannot synthesize its own.
    • 2009, Christian Wirth, Gerd Gleixner, Martin Heimann, Old-Growth Forests: Function, Fate and Value, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 159:
      Woody detritus is an important component of forested ecosystems. It can reduce erosion and affects soil development, stores nutrients and water, provides a major source of energy and nutrients, and serves as a seedbed for plants and as a major habitat for decomposers and heterotrophs.
    • 2013 March, Harold J. Morowitz, “The Smallest Cell”, in American Scientist[1], volume 101, number 2, archived from the original on 4 January 2017, page 83:
      It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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German

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Pronunciation

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  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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heterotroph (strong nominative masculine singular heterotropher, not comparable)

  1. heterotrophic

Declension

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Further reading

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