The term ‘heterotroph’ consists of two words ‘hetero‘ and ‘troph‘. ‘Hetero‘ means ‘others’ and ‘troph’ means ‘nutrition’. So, in heterotrophic nutrition the organisms cannot make their own food from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight as they do not have chlorophyll. Such organisms depend on plants directly or indirectly for their food. All the animals, fungi, some protists and bacteria have heterotrophic mode of nutrition.
Heterotrophic nutrition
Such organisms which cannot make their own food and thus depend on other organisms for their food are called heterotrophs. For example, animals, fungi, some protists and bacteria etc.
Test Your Understanding and Answer These Questions:
- What do you meant by heterotrophs?
- Write differences between autotrophs and heterotrophs