I need help with amoeba sisters video recap autotrophs and heterotrophs.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Answer:
An autotroph is an organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals. Plants are common examples of autotrophs because they use photosynthesis to make their own food from sunlight.
A heterotroph is an organism that cannot make its own food. Instead, it must consume other organisms for energy and nutrients. Animals and fungi are examples of heterotrophs.
When labeling the two organisms:
- The autotroph should be underlined because it produces its own food.
Explanation
In biology, all living organisms need energy to survive, grow, and reproduce. The way an organism gets its energy helps scientists classify it as either an autotroph or a heterotroph.
Autotrophs are also known as “self-feeders.” These organisms can make their own food using energy from the environment. The most common process used by autotrophs is photosynthesis, where organisms like plants, algae, and some bacteria capture sunlight and convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a type of sugar) and oxygen. There are also chemoautotrophs, which produce their own food using energy from chemical reactions instead of sunlight. This makes autotrophs the producers of ecosystems, forming the base of most food chains.
Heterotrophs, on the other hand, depend on other living things for food. These organisms must eat plants, animals, or other organisms to get the nutrients they need. Animals, including humans, are classic examples of heterotrophs. Fungi and many bacteria also fall into this group. Instead of making their own food, heterotrophs are consumers in ecosystems, often found higher up in food chains.
The main difference between the two lies in how they obtain energy. Autotrophs generate energy-rich compounds from simple inorganic materials, while heterotrophs rely on consuming organic material.
Understanding this distinction helps explain how energy flows through an ecosystem. Autotrophs convert sunlight or chemicals into usable energy, and heterotrophs depend on that energy by consuming autotrophs or other heterotrophs.
In summary, autotrophs make their own food, while heterotrophs must eat to survive. Both play essential roles in the balance of life on Earth.
