Question

What is autotrophic nutrition? Give one example.

Answer 1

Hint: The nutrients enable living organisms to build their bodies, to grow, to repair damaged parts of their bodies and provide the energy to carry out life processes.

Complete step by step answer:

Autotrophic nutrition, the organism makes its own food from inorganic raw material like carbon dioxide and water present in the surrounding by using sunlight. The term “autotrophic” is formed by the combination of two terms, “auto” meaning self and “ trophic” meaning “nutrition”. Energy is needed to achieve this. In photo-autotrophic nutrition, light is the energy source. In most instances, the light source is solar energy, the process being photosynthesis The literal meaning of this term is self-nutrition. The autotrophic organisms contain a green coloured pigment called chlorophyll which helps in trapping energy from the sun. All green plants possess an autotrophic mode of nutrition. They prepare their own food by utilizing solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide by the process of photosynthesis. This results in the formation of glucose.

Photosynthesis
Plants are able to produce their own food through a process called photosynthesis.
The chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis.
Food production primarily is carried out in leaves. Water and minerals from the soil are absorbed by the root and transported to the leaves through vessels. Carbon dioxide reaches leaves through stomata – which are small pores on leaves surrounded by guard cells.
Chlorophyll is a green pigment present in leaves which helps the leaves capture energy from sunlight to prepare their food. This production of food which takes place in the presence of sunlight is known as photosynthesis. Hence, the sun serves as the primary source for all living organisms.
During photosynthesis, water and carbon dioxide are used in the presence of sunlight to produce carbohydrates and oxygen. Starch is released in the process, which is a carbohydrate
Oxygen, one of the main components of life on earth, is released by the plants during photosynthesis.

Following are the important examples of autotrophs:
Plants
Algae- Green algae and red algae
Bacteria such as cyanobacteria

Note: Leaves of the vascular plants have a special structure known as chloroplast which possesses chlorophyll. Plants synthesize glucose with the help of carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight.