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chemotroph
[kee-muh-trof, -trawf, -trohf, kem-uh-]
noun
Bacteriology, Biology.
any organism that oxidizes inorganic or organic compounds as its principal energy source.
chemotroph
An organism that manufactures its own food through chemosynthesis (the oxidation of inorganic chemical compounds) as opposed to photosynthesis. The sulfur-oxidizing bacteria found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and nitrifying bacteria in the soil are chemotrophs.
Also called chemoautotroph
Compare phototroph
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Other Word Forms
- chemotrophic adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of chemotroph1
chemo- + -troph < Greek ٰDZḗ food
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