Biology / Unit 9 Bio 1957 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Four Prokaryotic Nutritional Categories
Captions available
The idea
Prokaryotes are classified by combining energy source and carbon source: photoautotroph, chemoautotroph, photoheterotroph, and chemoheterotroph name the four resulting nutritional categories.
In practice
A photoautotroph uses light for energy and carbon dioxide for carbon; a chemoheterotroph uses chemical compounds for both energy and carbon.
Where people slip
"Auto" and "hetero" name the carbon source, while "photo" and "chemo" name the energy source— the two pairs combine independently.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for Biology