noun
- Plural of heterotrophy; the condition or practice of being a heterotroph, an organism that obtains energy and nutrients by consuming organic matter produced by other organisms.
Usage: biology; technical
Examples
- Most animals rely on heterotrophies to survive, feeding on plants or other organisms.
- The heterotrophies of fungi allow them to decompose dead organic material.
- In ecology, heterotrophies represent a fundamental feeding strategy distinct from photosynthesis.
- Different heterotrophies—such as herbivory, carnivory, and omnivory—shape food webs.
- Bacteria exhibit various heterotrophies depending on their available food sources.