An eagle is an example of a heterotroph. All animals are heterotrophs.
Click on image for full size (122K jpeg)
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
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Heterotrophs, like this eagle, feed off of other forms of life. Heterotrophs are the consumers of the food chain. This process of producing biological energy is different from that of autotrophs who produce their own food using energy from the Sun. The term heterotroph can refer to single or multi-celled organisms. Many bacteria as well as all fungi and
Heterotrophs
An eagle is an example of a heterotroph. All animals are heterotrophs.
Click on image for full size (122K jpeg)
Image courtesy of Corel Photography
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Heterotrophs are organisms that get the carbon necessary for life from organic substrates.
They cannot synthesize organic carbon-based compounds from inorganic sources in the environment like an autotroph can.
Heterotrophs are known as consumers in the food chain. They can feed on autotrophs, heterotrophs, or sometimes their own waste products. More simply, a heterotroph might eat plants or another animal to get necessary carbon to sustain its own life.
The term heterotroph can refer to single-celled organisms as well as multi-celled organisms. Most bacteria and all animal and fungal species are heterotrophic.
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Last modified August 9, 2006 by Jennifer Bergman.
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