Food is the basic source of life and we cannot survive without it. Different animals and plants prepare their food in different ways. They are categorized accordingly.
In this article, you will learn about the difference between autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition.
- Autotrophs are living beings that make their food using photosynthesis.
- Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot create their food and depend on autotrophs for nourishment.
What is autotroph nutrition?
- Autotrophs are living things that use a special way of eating called autotrophic nutrition.
What is heterotroph nutrition?
- Heterotrophs are living things that cannot make their food. They need to eat from producers, like green plants, and other animals. This way of eating is called heterotrophic nutrition.
What is the Difference Between Autotrophs and Heterotrophs?
| Autotrophs | Heterotrophs |
| Autotrophic nutrition is the type of nutrition that is prepared with the help of Co2 and O2 by the consumer itself. | Heterotrophic nutrition is prepared by depending on other food resources such as fruits, plants, dairy products, etc. |
| These are beings that can make their own food from carbon dioxide and water. | Heterotrophs are consumers and get their food from other sources. |
| Green plants have a pigment called chlorophyll in their cells. This helps them make food by using sunlight. | They depend on autotrophs to always have fresh organic molecules to eat. |
| All autotrophs are producers and are at the first level in the food chain. | In the food chain, heterotrophs are consumers and are at a higher level in the food chain. |
| Examples of autotrophs are all green plants. | Non-green plants, animals, and human beings are examples of heterotrophs. |