I-Autotroph

Amagqabi aluhlaza (lo mbala uluhlaza uvela kwi-chlorophylll) omthi we- fern: oxhonti buboya:  i-photoautotroph

Uhlobo lwetshathi edweliswe emakwaziwe nge-Autotroph

I-autotroph (igama livela kwigama leGrike      elithi autos = oko kuthetha ukuthi self aze yena u-trophe = athethe ukuthi nutrition) luhlobo lwe-organism (isidalwa esiphilayo) esikwaziyo ukuzenzela ii-organic compounds (Ukutya) kwii-molecules.

Imisebenzi yazo

Ii-Autotrophs zifuneka kuzo zonke iintlobo zokutya ezikuluhlu lwe-chain yokutya, kuyo yonke  i-ecosystems. Zilanda i-energy kwi-environment (Ilanga okanye i-inorganic sources) zize ziyisebenzise ukuze zenze ezinye ii-organic molecules ezisetyenziselwa ukuba zenze imisebenzi ngemisebenzi yakwa-biology efana nokukhuliswa kwe-cell okanye ukulungiswa kwe-tissue eyaphukileyo.

Intlobo-ntlobo zazo

Izityalo nezinye izinto eziphilayo ezikwaziyo ukusebenzisa i-photosynthesis zibizwa ngokuba zii-phototrophs (okanye  ii-photoautotrophs). Ii-bacteria ezisebenzisa ii-inorganic compounds ezifana ne-hydrogen sulfide, i-phosphorus okanye i-iron zibizwa ngokuba zii-chemoautotrophs. Ezinye ii-organisms, ezibizwa ngokuba zii-heterotrophs, zitya ii-autotrophs.

Kukho nezinye ii-species eziphila ngokutya ii-organic compounds, kodwa zibe zinakho ukusebenzisa ukukhanya njengendawo apho zifumana khona i-energy. ezi ke azikho-autotrophic, kodwa zona zi-heterotrophic. I- mixotroph yi-(micro)organism enokusebenzisa umxube we-energy ne-carbon ezimthombo wazo ukwindawo ngeendawo.