Which group can synthesize their own organic compounds from light energy?

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Multiple Choice

Which group can synthesize their own organic compounds from light energy?

Autotrophs are organisms that can make their own organic compounds using light energy. They capture light with pigments like chlorophyll and drive photosynthesis, turning inorganic carbon from CO2 into organic sugars. This energy-rich synthesis builds their biomass and forms the base of most ecosystems’ food webs. Heterotrophs, on the other hand, cannot synthesize organic molecules from inorganic carbon and must obtain preformed organic compounds by consuming other organisms. In ecological terms, producers are typically autotrophs that generate biomass from light energy, while consumers are heterotrophs that rely on that autotrophic output. So the group that can synthesize their own organic compounds from light energy is autotrophs.

Autotrophs are organisms that can make their own organic compounds using light energy. They capture light with pigments like chlorophyll and drive photosynthesis, turning inorganic carbon from CO2 into organic sugars. This energy-rich synthesis builds their biomass and forms the base of most ecosystems’ food webs. Heterotrophs, on the other hand, cannot synthesize organic molecules from inorganic carbon and must obtain preformed organic compounds by consuming other organisms. In ecological terms, producers are typically autotrophs that generate biomass from light energy, while consumers are heterotrophs that rely on that autotrophic output. So the group that can synthesize their own organic compounds from light energy is autotrophs.

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