photoautotroph

Examples of photoautotroph in the following topics:

• Strategies for Acquiring Energy

  • Photosynthetic autotrophs (photoautotrophs) use sunlight as an energy source, whereas chemosynthetic autotrophs (chemoautotrophs) use inorganic molecules as an energy source.
  • Photoautotrophs, such as plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria, serve as the energy source for a majority of the world's ecosystems.
  • Photoautotrophs harness the solar energy of the sun by converting it to chemical energy in the form of ATP (and NADP).
  • Distinguish between photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs and the ways in which they acquire energy

• The Purpose and Process of Photosynthesis

  • Because they use light to manufacture their own food, they are called photoautotrophs ("self-feeders using light").
  • Photoautotrophs, including (a) plants, (b) algae, and (c) cyanobacteria, synthesize their organic compounds via photosynthesis using sunlight as an energy source.

• Cell Structure, Metabolism, and Motility

  • Protists that store energy by photosynthesis belong to a group of photoautotrophs and are characterized by the presence of chloroplasts.
  • Some protists function as mixotrophs, obtaining nutrition by photoautotrophic or heterotrophic routes, depending on whether sunlight or organic nutrients are available.

• Main Structures and Summary of Photosynthesis

  • Before learning the details of how photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy, it is important to become familiar with the structures involved.

• Energy and Nutrient Requirements for Prokaryotes

  • Thus, photoautotrophs use energy from sunlight and carbon from carbon dioxide and water, whereas chemoheterotrophs obtain energy and carbon from an organic chemical source.