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What are the differences between autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic nutrition?
Answer
The differences between Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Nutrition is as follows :
| Autotropic Nutrition | Heterotrophic Nutrition |
| involves preparation of food by the organism itself | Food is obtained directly or indirectly from autotrophs |
| Raw materials like CO 2 and H 2 O are required | CO 2 and H 2 O are not required. |
| Solar energy is converted into chemical energy by photosynthetic pigments and then used for making food. | Chemical energy is not taken up directly instead it is obtained from the food taken in |
| Chlorophyll is needed | Chlorophyll plays no role in this type of nutrition. |
| Autotrophic nutritioni is seen in producers, thus it occurs at the primary level in a food chain | This type of nutrition is observed at the secondary and tertiary level in food chain |
| Examples : Green Plants, Blue Green Algae | Examples : All Animals, Most bacteria |
