Which type of organisms are referred to as autotrophs?

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Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food using inorganic substances; they essentially serve as the foundation of the food web in ecosystems. The term "autotroph" translates to "self-feeding," indicating their ability to synthesize their own organic materials from simple inorganic sources, primarily through processes such as photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Producers, which include plants, algae, and some bacteria, specifically convert sunlight or chemical energy into food, making them essential for introducing energy into an ecosystem. They typically use carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and oxygen, which not only sustains their own metabolic processes but also supports higher trophic levels, such as consumers and decomposers, that rely on them for energy and organic matter.

In contrast, consumers are organisms that depend on other organisms for their energy needs. Decomposers break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem but do not produce their own food. Omnivores are consumers that eat both plants and animals, but they still rely on autotrophs for the energy they need to survive.

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