Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun biology The synthesis of an organism's food from inorganic material using light as a source of energy

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

photo- + -trophy

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Examples

  • Oxygen solubility is extremely poor at such high salinities and, not surprisingly, in addition to aerobic respiration most halophilic organisms also require alternate means of energy production such as phototrophy, denitrification and other dissimilatory processes

    PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles 2009

  • This could be through the metabolism of the nonconservative gases CH4, CO, and H2, and a link between chemotrophy and phototrophy through these gases is hypothesized.

    Hansen and Schmidt: Predicting the Past? « Climate Audit 2006

  • At the same time the present study shows that proteorhodopsin-mediated phototrophy (the process of acquiring energy from light) allows marine bacteria to better survive periods of starvation in an often nutrient-depleted ocean.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • At the same time the present study shows that proteorhodopsin-mediated phototrophy (the process of acquiring energy from light) allows marine bacteria to better survive periods of starvation in an often nutrient-depleted ocean.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories PhysOrg Team 2010

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