1, the fundamental difference between autotrophic and heterotrophs lies in whether simple inorganic matter can be transformed into organic matter.

2. Simply put, whether carbon dioxide can be converted into organic matter can be an autotrophic organism, but not heterotrophs.

3. For example, plants and cyanobacteria can use light energy to convert carbon dioxide into organic matter through photosynthesis, so they are photosynthetic autotrophs. Nitrifying bacteria can use chemical energy (bacteria can convert ammonia into nitrate, which will release a lot of chemical energy) to convert carbon dioxide into organic matter, which is chemoautotrophs.

4. Other organisms that can't convert carbon dioxide into organic matter are heterotrophs.

5. Scientific explanation [Heterotrophication] People and animals cannot carry out photosynthesis like green plants, nor can they carry out chemical synthesis like nitrifying bacteria. They can only rely on the intake of ready-made organic matter in the external environment to maintain their life activities. This metabolic type belongs to heterotrophy.