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Autotrophs
Autotrophs are organisms that can synthesize their own food from inorganic sources of carbon (typically carbon dioxide, CO₂) and other essential elements.
Chemoautotrophs
Chemoautotrophs are organisms that use inorganic chemical reactions to obtain energy, typically through exothermic reactions, to drive the process of chemosynthesis.
Heterotrophs
Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot synthesize their own food. Instead, they obtain carbon compounds (such as glucose, proteins, and lipids) by consuming other organisms, either autotrophs (plants and algae) or other heterotrophs (animals, fungi, etc.).
Photoautotrophs
Photoautotrophs are organisms that use light as their external energy source to synthesize carbon compounds (e.g., glucose) through the process of photosynthesis.
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms capable of photosynthesis