noun
- Organisms that obtain energy from sunlight and synthesize organic compounds from inorganic substances, primarily carbon dioxide and water.
Usage: plural form; singular is photoautotroph; biology/ecology term; includes plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria
Examples
- Photoautotrophs such as plants and algae form the base of most food chains on Earth.
- Green plants are the primary photoautotrophs in terrestrial ecosystems.
- Cyanobacteria are photoautotrophs that can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere.
- In aquatic environments, photoautotrophs like diatoms produce much of the oxygen we breathe.
- Photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
- Without photoautotrophs, most life on Earth would not be able to survive.