A Heterotroph (Greek Greek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical ancient Greek literature and the New Testament of ἕτερος heteros = another and τροφή trophe = nutrition) is an organism The term "organism" first appeared in the English language in 1701 and took on its current definition by 1834 (Oxford English Dictionary) that uses organic An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered inorganic. The division between "organic" and " carbon for growth.[1] This contrasts with autotrophs An autotroph [α] is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions, such as plants Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The scientific study of plants, known as botany, has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants, bryophytes, ferns and fern allies. As of 2004,, which are able to directly use sources of energy, such as light Light is electromagnetic radiation, particularly radiation of a wavelength that is visible to the human eye . In physics, the term light sometimes refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not to produce organic substrates from inorganic carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state. CO2 is a trace gas being only 0.038% of the atmosphere.

Contents

Ecology

Main article: Consumers (food chain)

Heterotrophs are known as consumers in food chains and obtain organic carbon by eating other heterotrophs or autotrophs. They break down complex organic compounds that are produced by autotrophs.

All animals are heterotrophic, as well as fungi A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi (pronounced /ˈfʌndʒaɪ/ or /ˈfʌŋɡaɪ/) are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria. One major difference is that fungal cells have cell and many bacteria The bacteria ( [bækˈtɪərɪə] ; singular: bacterium)[α] are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals. Bacteria are ubiquitous in every habitat on Earth, growing in soil, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, water, and. Some animals, such as corals Corals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals. The group includes the important reef builders that are found in tropical oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton, form symbiotic The term symbiosis commonly describes close and often long-term interactions between different biological species. The term was first used in 1879 by the German mycologist Heinrich Anton de Bary, who defined it as "the living together of unlike organisms." The definition of symbiosis is in flux, and the term has been applied to a wide relationships with autotrophs and obtain organic carbon in this way. Furthermore, some parasitic plants A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant. About 4,100 species in approximately 19 families of flowering plants are known. Parasitic plants have a modified root, the haustorium, that penetrates the host plant and connects to the xylem, phloem, or both. Parasitic plants are characterized as follows: have also turned fully or partially heterotrophic, while so-called carnivorous plants Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic bogs and rock outcroppings. Charles Darwin wrote consume animals to augment their nitrogen supply but are still autotrophic.

Flowchart A flowchart is a common type of diagram, that represents an algorithm or process, showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting these with arrows. Flowcharts are used in analyzing, designing, documenting or managing a process or program in various fields to determine if a species is autotroph An autotroph [α] is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions, heterotroph, or a subtype

Two types of heterotroph are distinguished:

Organotrophs and lithotrophs

These terms refer to the chemical reactions that are involved in biosynthetic processes or respiration. Phototrophs and chemotrophs can be either lithotrophic A lithotroph is an organism that uses an inorganic substrate to obtain reducing equivalents for use in biosynthesis (e.g., carbon dioxide fixation) or energy conservation via aerobic or anaerobic respiration. Known lithotrophs are exclusively microbes or plants; No known macrofauna possesses the ability to utilize inorganic compounds as energy or organotrophic An organotroph is an organism that obtains hydrogen or electrons from organic substrates . Antonym: Lithotroph.

See also

References

  1. ^ "heterotroph - definition of heterotroph by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.". www.thefreedictionary.com. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Heterotroph. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
Feeding behaviours Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffix -vore from Latin vorare, meaning 'to devour', or phagy, from Greek φαγειν, meaning 'to eat'
Carnivores A carnivore , meaning 'meat eater' (Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour'), is an animal that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of vertebrate and/or invertebrate animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging. Animals that depend solely on animal flesh for their
adult Hematophagy Hematophagy is the habit of certain animals of feeding on blood (from the Greek words, haima "blood" and phagein "to eat"). Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without enormous effort, hematophagy has evolved as a preferred form of feeding in many small animals such as worms · Insectivore Although individually small, insects exist in enormous numbers and make up a very large part of the animal biomass in almost all non-marine environments. In Queensland pastures, for example, it is normal to have a greater total weight of Scarabaeidae larvae under the surface than of the beef cattle grazing above it · Lepidophagy Lepidophagy is a specialised feeding behaviour in fish that involves eating of scales of other fish. Lepidophagy is widespread, having been independently evolved in at least five freshwater families and seven marine families. Lepidophagy has been reported in a range of fish including: Chanda nama , Terapon jarbua (family Terapontidae), several · Man-eater Man-eater is a colloquial term for an animal that preys upon humans. This does not include scavenging. Although human beings can be attacked by many kinds of animals, man-eaters are those that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet. Most reported cases of man-eaters have involved tigers, leopards, lions, crocodilians, and sharks · Molluscivore A molluscivore is a carnivorous animal which eats mainly molluscs. The term durophagy is used to describe this eating behavior · Mucophagy Mucophagy is feeding on mucus of fishes or invertebrates. It may also refer to consumption of mucus or dried mucus in primates · Myrmecophagy Myrmecophagy is a feeding behavior defined by the consumption of termites and/or ants, particularly in those animal species whose diets are largely or exclusively composed of said insect types · Ophiophagy Ophiophagy is a specialized form of feeding or alimentary behavior of animals which hunt and eat snakes. There are ophiophagous mammals (such as the skunks and the mongooses), birds (such as snake eagles, the Secretary Bird, and some hawks), lizards (such as the Common collared lizard), and even other snakes, such as the Central and South American · Piscivore Some animals, like the sea lion, or alligator, are not completely piscivores, while others, like the Aquatic Genet, are strictly dependent on fish for food. The name piscivore is derived from the Latin word for fish, "piscis" · Spongivore A spongivore is an organism that feeds primarily on animals of the Phylum Porifera, commonly called sea sponges
reproductive Oophagy Oophagy , literally "egg eating", is the practice of embryos feeding on eggs produced by the ovary while still inside the mother's uterus. The word oophagy is formed from the Classical Greek ᾠόν (ōion, egg) and Classical Greek φᾱγεῖν (phāgein, to eat) · Ovophagy Ovophagy is a rare though widely observed condition in the reproduction of certain animals, whereby fetuses will devour each other prior to birth. Subsequent research has shown ovophagy to be sporadic and highly uncommon among the vast majority of animal species · Paedophagy Paedophagy literally means the "consumption of children". It is a term used to describe the feeding behaviour of fish, or other animals, whose diet is partially, or primarily the eggs or larvae of other animals. The term is frequently applied to various species of cichlid fish from Lake Malawi of the genera Caprichromis, · Placentophagy Placentophagy is the act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth · Breastfeeding Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. Most mothers can breastfeed for six months or more, without the addition of infant formula or solid food · Weaning Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk
cannibalistic Cannibalism In zoology, cannibalism is the act of one individual of a species consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded for more than 1500 species[citation needed] · Human cannibalism Cannibalism , also called anthropophagy, is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings · Self-cannibalism Self-cannibalism is the practice of eating oneself, also called autocannibalism, or autosarcophagy. A similar term which is applied differently is autophagy, which specifically denotes the normal process of self-degradation by cells. While almost an exclusive term for this process, autophagy nonetheless has occasionally made its way into more · Sexual cannibalism
Herbivores Herbivory is a form of predation in which an organism consumes principally autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. By that definition, many fungi, some bacteria, many animals, some protists and a small number of parasitic plants can be considered herbivores. However, herbivory is generally restricted to animals eating Folivore In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, relatively little energy, and often toxic compounds.. For this reason folivorous animals tend to have long digestive tracts and slow metabolisms. Many enlist the help of symbiotic bacteria to release the · Frugivore A frugivore is a fruit eater. It can be any type of herbivore, omnivore or carnivore where fruit is a preferred food type. Frugivory is a very common diet choice. For example, 20% of herbivorous mammals could be sub-classed as frugivore/herbivore if such a classification existed in science. Since frugivorous/herbivores eat a lot of fruit they are · Graminivore In zoology, a graminivore is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass (specifically "true" grasses; plants of the family Poaceae). The word is derived from Latin graminis, meaning "grass", and vorare, meaning "to eat." Graminivory is a form of grazing · Granivore Seed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores feed on the seeds of plants as a main or exclusive food source (Hulme and Benkman 2002), in many cases leaving the seeds damaged and not viable. Granivores are found across many families of vertebrates and invertebrates (especially mammals, · Nectarivore In zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which eats the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants. Most nectarivores are insects or birds, but there are also nectarivorous mammals, notably several species of bats in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, as well as the Australian Honey Possum , and Geckos (genus Phesulma) in Mauritius. The · Palynivore In zoology, a palynivore is an herbivorous animal which selectively eats the nutrient-rich pollen produced by angiosperms and gymnosperms. Most true palynivores are insects or mites. The category in its strictest application includes essentially all bees, and a few different kinds of wasps, as pollen is often the only solid food consumed by all · Xylophagy · Osteophagy
Others Phagocytosis · Bacterivore · Coprophagia · Detritivore · Fungivore · Geophagy · Omnivore
Methods Apex predator · Bottom feeding · Browsing · Hypercarnivore · Filter feeding · Grazing · Kleptoparasitism · Scavenging · Trophallaxis
Predation · Antipredator adaptation · Carnivorous plant · Carnivorous fungus · Carnivorous protist · Category:Eating behaviors

Categories: Trophic ecology | Microbial growth and nutrition | Biology terminology

 

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