Using self-made organic matter to maintain life is called autotrophic, or using carbon dioxide or carbonate as the only carbon source, which can be synthesized by simple inorganic nitrogen metabolism.

Inorganic substances cannot be directly synthesized into organic substances, and ready-made organic substances must be ingested to maintain a nutritious lifestyle. This is the so-called heterotrophs. Heterotrophication is autotrophic; Plants are basically autotrophic and animals are basically heterotrophic. Heterotrophication includes growth, parasitism and saprophy.

Extended data

Comparison between autotrophic and heterotrophic

1, different lifestyles

Autotrophic-a life style with photosynthetic pigments, which can produce organic nutrients needed for its own growth through photosynthesis. Heterotrophication-a lifestyle that grows without photosynthetic pigments by absorbing organic nutrients made by other green plants.

2. Differences in characteristics

The obvious feature of autotrophs is that they can synthesize organic matter for their own life activities without consuming ready-made organic matter. At the same time, it provides a large amount of organic matter for consumers (organisms that can't synthesize organic matter by themselves, but can only maintain their own life activities by consuming ready-made organic matter) and decomposers (organisms that need to decompose organic matter to maintain their own life activities).

3. Classification differences

Heterotrophication is autotrophic; Plants are basically autotrophic and animals are basically heterotrophic. Heterotrophication includes growth, parasitism and saprophy.

Baidu encyclopedia-autotrophic

Baidu encyclopedia-heterotrophic