Glossary
Autotroph
An organism that uses inorganic carbon, usually carbon dioxide, as its main carbon source.
| Antonyms | Heterotroph |
|---|---|
| Not to be confused with | Auxotroph |
| Notes | Autotroph and heterotroph describe carbon source, not energy source.Energy source is described separately with terms like phototroph and chemotroph; electron donor is described with terms like lithotroph and organotroph. |
| Related | Heterotroph, Auxotroph, Chemotroph, Phototroph, Lithotroph, Organotroph |
Auxotroph
A strain that cannot synthesize a compound required for growth and must receive it from the growth medium.
| Antonyms | Prototroph |
|---|---|
| Not to be confused with | Autotroph |
| Notes | Auxotroph and prototroph describe whether a strain can synthesize required growth compounds. |
| Related | Prototroph, Autotroph |
Chassis
The host organism or cell system used as the biological platform for genetic parts, circuits, or engineered functions.
Chemotroph
An organism that gets energy from chemical compounds rather than light.
| Antonyms | Phototroph |
|---|---|
| Notes | Chemotroph and phototroph describe energy source, not carbon source.Carbon source is described separately with terms like autotroph and heterotroph; electron donor is described with terms like organotroph and lithotroph. |
| Related | Phototroph, Autotroph, Heterotroph, Organotroph, Lithotroph |
Heterotroph
An organism that uses organic compounds as its main carbon source.
| Antonyms | Autotroph |
|---|---|
| Notes | Autotroph and heterotroph describe carbon source, not energy source.A heterotroph may still use light or chemical reactions as an energy source depending on its metabolism. |
| Related | Autotroph, Chemotroph, Phototroph, Organotroph, Lithotroph |
Lithotroph
An organism that uses inorganic compounds as electron donors in its metabolism.
| Antonyms | Organotroph |
|---|---|
| Not to be confused with | Autotroph |
| Notes | Lithotroph and organotroph describe electron donor, not carbon source or energy source.Carbon source is described separately with terms like autotroph and heterotroph; energy source is described with terms like phototroph and chemotroph. |
| Related | Organotroph, Autotroph, Heterotroph, Chemotroph, Phototroph |
Organotroph
An organism that uses organic compounds as electron donors in its metabolism.
| Antonyms | Lithotroph |
|---|---|
| Not to be confused with | Heterotroph |
| Notes | Organotroph and lithotroph describe electron donor, not carbon source or energy source.Carbon source is described separately with terms like autotroph and heterotroph; energy source is described with terms like phototroph and chemotroph. |
| Related | Lithotroph, Heterotroph, Autotroph, Chemotroph, Phototroph |
Phototroph
An organism that gets energy from light.
| Antonyms | Chemotroph |
|---|---|
| Not to be confused with | Prototroph |
| Notes | Phototroph and chemotroph describe energy source, not carbon source.Carbon source is described separately with terms like autotroph and heterotroph; electron donor is described with terms like organotroph and lithotroph. |
| Related | Chemotroph, Prototroph, Autotroph, Heterotroph, Organotroph, Lithotroph |
Prototroph
A strain that can synthesize all compounds required for growth from a minimal set of nutrients.
| Antonyms | Auxotroph |
|---|---|
| Not to be confused with | Phototroph |
| Notes | Prototroph and auxotroph describe biosynthetic requirements, not energy source. |
| Related | Auxotroph, Phototroph |
Pseudomonadota
A major phylum of Gram-negative bacteria that includes many metabolically diverse groups, historically known as Proteobacteria.
| Synonyms | Proteobacteria |
|---|