Directly or indirectly supplies energy to most living organisms. Nutritional mode of synthesizing organic molecules from inorganic raw materials. Because autotrophic organisms produce organic molecules that enter an ecosystem's food store, autotrophs are also known as producers .
Autotrophic organisms require an energy source to synthesize organic molecules.
Autotrophic organisms that use light as an energy source to synthesize organic molecules. Examples are photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae and some prokaryotes. Unique to some bacteria, this is a rarer form of autotrophic nutrition. Heterotrophs are also known as consumers . Examples are animals that eat plants or other animals.