Every time we come across the description of a group of living beings, we observe that they are classified into beings. autotrophic and beings heterotrophic. This classification is based on the form of nutrition of each organism.
THE autotrophic nutrition (self = own; trophy= food) is the one in which the living being produces its own food, that is, it is capable of producing organic molecules that serve him as food from inorganic substances that he removes from the environment in that lives.
The main process for obtaining food by autotrophic beings is photosynthesis. In this process, the living being produces organic substances using carbon dioxide and water as reagents, producing carbohydrates and oxygen gas. This process only takes place in the presence of light energy.
Note the general photosynthesis equation below:
CO2+H2O+ light energy → Glycide + O2+ H2O
Examples of autotrophic beings are plants, algae and some bacteria. These beings can also be called producers, as they are the ones who supply the energy to other living beings.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
THE heterotrophic nutrition is the one in which the living being needs to obtain organic matter from the external environment, that is, it is not capable of producing it. In that case, these beings will need to feed on another living being.
Examples of heterotrophic beings are all animals, fungi, some bacteria and some protozoa. These beings can also be called consumers or decomposers, as they remove their food by eating another living being or decomposing dead organic matter respectively.
Researchers believe that the first living things were autotrophic beings, probably bacteria. They claim that on the primitive Earth it was not possible to obtain organic matter for the development of the first living beings. Probably the first bacteria used hydrogen sulfide and iron compounds to produce organic substances, since these substances were abundant on the early Earth. This is currently the most accepted hypothesis, however several hypotheses exist to explain the origin of life on the planet.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "What is autotrophic and heterotrophic?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/biologia/o-que-e-autotrofico-heterotrofico.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
