Skip to main content

Medical Subject Headings (thesaurus)

Search from vocabulary

Concept information

Metabolism > Heterotrophic Processes
Chemical Phenomena > Biochemical Phenomena > Heterotrophic Processes

Preferred term

Heterotrophic Processes  

Type

  • mesh:Descriptor

Definition

  • The processes by which organisms utilize organic substances as their nutrient sources. Contrasts with AUTOTROPHIC PROCESSES which make use of simple inorganic substances as the nutrient supply source. Heterotrophs can be either chemoheterotrophs (or chemoorganotrophs) which also require organic substances such as glucose for their primary metabolic energy requirements, or photoheterotrophs (or photoorganotrophs) which derive their primary energy requirements from light. Depending on environmental conditions some organisms can switch between different nutritional modes (AUTOTROPHY; heterotrophy; chemotrophy; or PHOTOTROPHY) to utilize different sources to meet their nutrients and energy requirements.

Entry terms

  • Heterotrophic Process

In other languages

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/JVR-LBN4TKGJ-W

Download this concept:

RDF/XML TURTLE JSON-LD Created 7/5/06, last modified 6/30/16