heterotroph

From hetero- (“other”) +‎ -troph (“nutrition”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛt(ə)ɹə(ʊ)tɹəʊf/, /hɛt(ə)ɹə(ʊ)ˈtɹɒf/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛɾəɹəˌtɹoʊf/, /-ˌtɹɒf/

heterotroph (plural heterotrophs)

1. (ecology) An organism which requires an external supply of energy and nutrients under the form of food containing organic carbon as it cannot synthesize its own.
   • 2009, Christian Wirth, Gerd Gleixner, Martin Heimann, Old-Growth Forests: Function, Fate and Value, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 159:

     Woody detritus is an important component of forested ecosystems. It can reduce erosion and affects soil development, stores nutrients and water, provides a major source of energy and nutrients, and serves as a seedbed for plants and as a major habitat for decomposers and heterotrophs.

   • 2013 March, Harold J. Morowitz, “The Smallest Cell”, in American Scientist‎, volume 101, number 2, archived from the original on 4 January 2017, page 83:

     It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.

• consumer (biology)

• autotroph

• heterotroph on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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heterotroph (strong nominative masculine singular heterotropher, not comparable)

1. heterotrophic

• “heterotroph” in Duden online
• “heterotroph” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache