— autotrophic , adj.
/aw"teuh trof', -trohf'/ , n. Biol.
any organism capable of self-nourishment by using inorganic materials as a source of nutrients and using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as a source of energy, as most plants and certain bacteria and protists. Cf. heterotroph .
[ 1935-40; back formation from autotrophic; see AUTO- 1 , TROPHIC ]