heterotroph

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English

Etymology

From hetero- (“other”) +‎ -troph (“nutrition”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhɛt(ə)ɹə(ʊ)tɹəʊf/, /hɛt(ə)ɹə(ʊ)ˈtɹɒf/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɛtəɹəˌtɹoʊf/, /-ˌtɹɒf/

Noun

heterotroph (plural heterotrophs)

  1. (ecology) An organism which requires an external supply of energy and nutrients under the form of food containing organic carbon as it cannot synthesize its own.
    • 2009, Christian Wirth, Gerd Gleixner, Martin Heimann, Old-Growth Forests: Function, Fate and Value, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 159:
      Woody detritus is an important component of forested ecosystems. It can reduce erosion and affects soil development, stores nutrients and water, provides a major source of energy and nutrients, and serves as a seedbed for plants and as a major habitat for decomposers and heterotrophs.
    • 2013 March, Harold J. Morowitz, “The Smallest Cell”, in American Scientist‎, volume 101, number 2, archived from the original on 4 January 2017, page 83:
      It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.

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Further reading

German

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

heterotroph (strong nominative masculine singular heterotropher, not comparable)

  1. heterotrophic

Declension

Positive forms of heterotroph (uncomparable)
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist heterotroph sie ist heterotroph es ist heterotroph sie sind heterotroph
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative heterotropher heterotrophe heterotrophes heterotrophe
genitive heterotrophen heterotropher heterotrophen heterotropher
dative heterotrophem heterotropher heterotrophem heterotrophen
accusative heterotrophen heterotrophe heterotrophes heterotrophe
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der heterotrophe die heterotrophe das heterotrophe die heterotrophen
genitive des heterotrophen der heterotrophen des heterotrophen der heterotrophen
dative dem heterotrophen der heterotrophen dem heterotrophen den heterotrophen
accusative den heterotrophen die heterotrophe das heterotrophe die heterotrophen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein heterotropher eine heterotrophe ein heterotrophes (keine) heterotrophen
genitive eines heterotrophen einer heterotrophen eines heterotrophen (keiner) heterotrophen
dative einem heterotrophen einer heterotrophen einem heterotrophen (keinen) heterotrophen
accusative einen heterotrophen eine heterotrophe ein heterotrophes (keine) heterotrophen

Further reading

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