Autotrophic organisms: What are, characteristics and examples

The Autotrophic organisms (of the Greek “cars” = “by itself” and “tropos” = “food”) are those that have the ability to Obtain energy and nutrients from inorganic matter And they do it either by sunlight, through a process called photosynthesis, or through oxidative processes of inorganic compounds in a process known as chemosynthesis.

Thus, autotrophic organisms do not need to feed on other living beings to obtain energy, although they are consumed by these for that purpose (primary consumers), which makes them primary producers in the trophic network. In this other article we talk about what trophic networks and examples are.

Autotrophic organisms are characterized by anabolic processes of synthesis of complex compounds from simpler molecules. To obtain energy, autotrophic organisms convert Inorganic carbon of the medium in Organic compounds through a process known as “Carbon fixation”which presents several types. Depending on the way they obtain energy, autotrophic organisms can be fotrophos or chemioautotrophs.

Autotrophic organisms: fotrophos

These generate their own food from sunlight (which plants and algae capture through organelles called chloroplasts, where the chlorophyll pigment is located, which provides them with a greenish color), carbon dioxide (inorganic carbon form) and water, with which they form sugars that use as a source of energy, in a process called photosynthesis.

Thus, through photosynthesis, they convert the energy of light, CO2 and mineral salts into highly energy rich organic compounds (glucose) and oxygen that release the atmosphere (except in the case of bacteria that perform an anoxygenic photosynthesis, in which there is no said production of O2). That is, the product resulting from photosynthesis is glucose, which they use to obtain energy, breathing, and also to synthesize starch and cellulose, structural component of the cell wall.

Learn here the difference between photosynthesis and breathing of plants.

Autotrophic organisms: chimiótrophos

On the other hand, the chimiórophos organisms use other chemical substances such as energy source, such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur, ammonium or ferrous iron, in the chemosynthesis process.

Within the trophic network, autotrophic organisms play the important role of “Primary producers”which are those that serve as a food source of heterotrophic organisms, also called “consumers.”

There are representatives of autotrophic organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Some Examples of autotrophic organisms They are all plants, certain types of bacteria, arches and protists (such as algae), which play fundamental roles in trophic chains of all types of ecosystems. These are some clear examples:

• The set of plants It is characterized by autotrophy, as is the case of sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) or the common fir (ABIES ALBA).
• Other examples of autotrophic organisms are Cyanobacteriathe only protist organisms capable of carrying out oxygenic photosynthesis. Some known cyanobacteria genres are Nostoc either Gloetrichia.
• The algae They are also autotrophic organisms, with genres representatives Euglena either Ceratum.
• Among the photoautotroph bacteria that perform anoxygenic photosynthesis, some species of purple bacteria can be distinguished, such as Rhodospirillum Rubrum either Rhodobacter spaeroids, Sulfurous red bacteria like Chromatium Vinosumsulphurous green bacteria such as Pelodictyon claathratiforme and not sulphurous like Chloronema sp.
• In the group of chimioautotrophic agencies, the Iron oxidizing bacteria (as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans) That, as mentioned above, they obtain their energy and livelihood from the oxidation of inorganic compounds of the environment, which is usually rich in iron.
• Other chemioautotroph bacteria are calls sulfur bacteria (As, for example, Thiobacillus thiooxidans), which inhabit areas of accumulation of pyrite (sulfur mineral), of which they feed.
• Other examples of chemioautrophy occurs in the Nitrogen bacteriathat is to say that they take part in the nitrogen cycle, such as genres Nitrosomonas either Nitrobacteramong others, as well as in Hydrogen bacteria.

After knowing that among the autotrophic organisms there are algae and plants, among others, we offer you more information about similarities and differences between plants and algae.

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