heterotrophic

[ het-er-uh-trof-ik, -troh-fik ]

adjective

, Biology.

1. capable of utilizing only organic materials as a source of food.

heterotrophic

/ ˌhɛtərəʊˈtrɒfɪk /

adjective

1. (of organisms, such as animals) obtaining carbon for growth and energy from complex organic compounds Compare autotrophic

Derived Forms

• ˈheteroˌtroph, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heterotrophic¹

First recorded in 1890–95; hetero- + -trophic

Word History and Origins

Origin of heterotrophic¹

C20: from hetero- + Greek trophikos concerning food, from trophē nourishment

Example Sentences

The researchers involved in the current study used the results of those surveys, which focused on the English Channel and Scottish coast, to investigate six groups of tiny plankton including two groups of heterotrophic bacteria.

From Science Daily

He notes the minute organisms are heterotrophic, meaning they can extract energy from sugar, and they do not require light, which helps to reduce his electricity costs.

From Scientific American

We also show that vesicles carrying DNA from diverse bacteria are abundant in coastal and open-ocean seawater samples. vesicles can support the growth of heterotrophic bacterial cultures, which implicates these structures in marine carbon flux.

From Science Magazine

They would grow algae in tanks in the dark in a process called heterotrophic fermentation to make the specialty oils for ancillary markets that would pave the long road to fuel.

From New York Times

Cell density depends on the media used and algal species involved, and is typically highest for heterotrophic growth in bioreactors.

From Nature