Heterotroph

A heterotroph is an organism that obtains carbon and energy by consuming organic matter produced by other organisms. Heterotrophs depend on organic molecules rather than fixing carbon from inorganic sources.

Chemoorganotrophy: A mode of nutrition that obtains energy by oxidizing organic compounds. Many heterotrophs extract usable energy by oxidizing the organic matter they consume.
Autotroph: An organism that produces organic compounds from inorganic carbon sources such as carbon dioxide. Autotrophs contrast with heterotrophs in how they obtain carbon.
Decomposer: An organism that breaks down dead organic matter and releases simpler substances. Decomposers are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients from dead organisms and waste.
Photoautotroph: An organism that uses light energy to synthesize organic compounds from inorganic carbon. Photoautotrophs build organic carbon using light instead of obtaining it by feeding.
Cellular respiration: A set of metabolic pathways that transfer energy from molecules to ATP, often using an electron transport chain. It is a common way heterotrophs harvest energy from organic nutrients.
Carbon fixation: The conversion of inorganic carbon, usually carbon dioxide, into organic compounds. Heterotrophs consume fixed carbon rather than fixing inorganic carbon as their primary carbon source.
Detritivore: An organism that eats dead organic material called detritus. Detritivores obtain food by consuming fragments of dead organic matter.
Chemoautotroph: An organism that uses energy from inorganic chemical reactions to fix carbon dioxide. Chemoautotrophs fix carbon using chemical energy rather than consuming organic carbon.
Fermentation: An energy-yielding process that regenerates electron carriers without an external electron acceptor such as oxygen. Some heterotrophs rely on fermentation when respiration is unavailable or unsuitable.
Organic compound: A chemical compound containing carbon, typically bonded to hydrogen and other elements. Organic compounds are the carbon-bearing materials heterotrophs obtain from other organisms.

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