1. An organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances, typically using sunlight or chemical energy, rather than consuming other organisms.
Usage: biology; common in ecology and botany

Examples

• Plants are autotrophs that convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
• Algae and cyanobacteria are aquatic autotrophs that form the base of many food chains.
• Unlike animals, autotrophs do not need to consume other living things for energy.
• Chemosynthetic bacteria are autotrophs that obtain energy from chemical reactions rather than light.
• In an ecosystem, autotrophs are primary producers that support all other organisms.