photoautotroph

noun

pho·​to·​au·​to·​troph ˌfō-tō-ˈȯ-tə-ˌtrȯf 

plural photoautotrophs

: a photosynthetic organism (such as a green plant or a cyanobacterium) that utilizes energy from light to synthesize organic molecules

Green plants that convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates in the presence of sunlight are called photoautotrophs, and they are the primary producers in most marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

—James J. Childress et al.

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

photoautotroph

noun

pho·​to·​au·​to·​troph ˌfōt-ō-ˈȯt-ə-ˌtrōf 

: a photoautotrophic organism