Definition of "autotrophic" [au•to•troph•ic]

• Of or pertaining to the production of organic compounds from carbon dioxide as a carbon source, using either light or reactions of inorganic chemical compounds, as a source of energy. (adjective)

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• "Rhodophyta are autotrophic, which is an organism that obtains and stores Floridian starch from photosynthesis."
• "On land, an estimated 60 Pg C (60 billion tonnes) is emitted to the atmosphere each year by autotrophic respiration."
• "In the sea, autotrophic respiration is thought to account for about 58 Pg of the dissolved inorganic carbon in surface waters each year, with the contribution of heterotrophic respiration being 34 Pg C. Vulcanism"