Question

Describe the differences between autotrophs and heterotrophs.

Short answer

Autotrophs are organisms that synthesize their own food using raw materials available in nature. On the other hand, heterotrophs are organisms that depend on autotrophs for their food requirements.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Autotrophs and Heteroptrophs

Autotrophs make all their cellular components from basic molecules like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, water, and many more. On the contrary, heterotrophs get energy by oxidizing organic compounds such as proteins and carbohydrates.

Step 2. Difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs

Autotrophs	Heterotrophs
They are the producers of the food chain.	They are the consumers of the food chain.
They are of two types: photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophic.	They are of many types- parasite, symbiotic, saprophytes.
Autotrophs fix sunlight and convert it to chemical energy.	Heterotrophs cannot fix solar energy but use the chemical energy of autotrophs.