Obtaining its food from carbon dioxide, water and inorganic matter; neither parasitic nor saprophytic.
An organism that can live on very simple carbon and nitrogen sources, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia.
Obtaining food by photosynthesis from carbon dioxide, water and inorganic matter.
In biology, organisms able to manufacture all of their own food, as most green plants, and some bacteria.
Describing organisms (known as autotrophs) that synthesize their organic materials from carbon dioxide and nitrates or ammonium compounds, using an external source of energy. Photoautotrophic organisms, including green plants and some bacteria, derive their energy from sunlight; chemoautotrophic (chemosynthetic) organisms obtain energy from inorganic chemical reactions. All autotrophic bacteria are nonparasitic.
Self-nourishing; capable of growing in the absence of organic compounds; pert, to green plants and bacteria, which form protein and carbohydrate from inorganic salts and carbon dioxide.