autotrophic

adjective

(Gr. autos: self; trophê: food) Independent of other organisms in respect of organic nutrition; i.e. capable of utilizing only inorganic materials as a source of food, as most plants and certain bacterias and protozoans; able to fix carbon dioxide, by photosynthesis, to form carbohydrates. Producing its own nutritive substances; containing chlorophyll and, therefore, green; photosynthetic. Lakes in which most of the organic matter is from autochthonous sources are referred to as 'autotrophic', whereas those dominated by the input of paralimnetic particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) are termed 'allotrophic'. See autotrophe.