Autotroph
Organism type
Summary
An autotroph is an organism that can convert abiotic sources of energy into energy stored in organic compounds, which can be used by other organisms. Autotrophs produce complex organic compounds using carbon from simple substances such as carbon dioxide, generally using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions. Autotrophs do not need a living source of carbon or energy, and are the producers in a food chain, such as plants on land or algae in water. Autotrophs can reduce carbon dioxide to make organic compounds for biosynthesis and as stored chemical fuel. Most autotrophs use water as the reducing agent, but some can use other hydrogen compounds such as hydrogen sulfide.
Originally created by Anthere
9/30/2002, 10:31:23 PM
Modified
5/27/2026, 2:05:13 AM
Recent revisions
punctuation
Reverted 1 edit by [[Special:Contributions/~2026-30978-72|~2026-30978-72]] ([[User talk:~2026-30978-72|talk]]) to last revision by Bringingthewood
Reverted edit by [[Special:Contribs/~2026-30978-72|~2026-30978-72]] ([[User talk:~2026-30978-72|talk]]) to last version by Libo1727
I fixed the enzyme name
Inserted link to Wood-Ljungdahl wiki page
Grammar, spelling, and MOS corrections [[:en:User:Ponor/wAwB| #wAwB]]
Retag
Fixed a reference. Please see [[Category:CS1 errors: unsupported parameter]].
minor wordings. -1 typo. +commas. adjusted 1 link. -1 overlink. moved {Wiktionary} to correct place.
[[User:AnomieBOT/docs/TemplateSubster|Substing templates]]: {{Format ISBN}}. See [[User:AnomieBOT/docs/TemplateSubster]] for info.
[[User:Monkbot/task 21: Replace page(s) with article-number|Monkbot/task 21: Replace page(s) with article-number]];
might be LLM puffery
[[Wikipedia:OABOT|Open access bot]]: url-access=subscription updated in citation with #oabot.
Reverted [[WP:AGF|good faith]] edits by [[Special:Contributions/2409:40C0:1007:E4FB:28B4:F9FF:FEE9:FF8B|2409:40C0:1007:E4FB:28B4:F9FF:FEE9:FF8B]] ([[User talk:2409:40C0:1007:E4FB:28B4:F9FF:FEE9:FF8B|talk]]): Sentence case is correct
[[MOS:SUB]] for CO2 (via [[WP:JWB]])
Fixed punctuation
