Heterotrophs and Autotrophs Flashcards
What are autrophs?
- They are organisms that are capable of synthesising their own complex organic food molecules from simpler inorganic ones
- they are self -feeding and organisms in this group make use of an external, non-living supply of energy to drive their self-feeding way of life/
What are photoautrophs?
This captures the sun’s energy and use it to convert simple inorganic molecules such as carbon dioxide and water, into complex, energy-rich organic food
what are chemoautrophs?
They obtains the energy they need for food manufacture by oxidising inorganic molecules such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide.
- they do not use light
what are species of chemoautrophs known as?
Known as Nitrifying bacteria
- plays an essential part in the nitrogen cycle
- nitrifying bacteria oxidises ammonium and nitrate ions
what happens to energy releases by the oxidation reactions?
It is used by the bacteria to manufacture their own food
what happens to the nitrates absorbed by green plants?
- Nitrogen is incorporated by green plants and nitrogen is incorporated into nitrogen-containing organic compounds
What are primary producers?
organisms can produce their own food through photosynthesis
what type of molecules do aututrophs synthesise?
lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and vitamins
what does auto mean?
self
what does troph mean?
nutrition
what does hetero mean?
another
what does troph mean?
nutrition
what are heterotrophs?
These organisms cannot make their own food. They ingest and digest complex organic molecules releasing the chemical potential energy stored in them.
- these molecules then can be converted into molecules such as glycogen, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
examples of heterophs?
- animals
- fungi
- some bacteria
Do autotrophs respire?
yes
