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What's the difference between heterotrophic and autotrophic? 

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What's the difference between heterotrophic and autotrophic? 

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Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food from the substances available in their surroundings using light ( photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis). Heterotrophs cannot synthesize their own food and rely on other organisms - both plants and animals - for nutrition. Technically, the definition is that autotrophs obtain carbon from inorganic sources like carbon dioxide (CO2) while heterotrophs get their reduced carbon from other organisms. Autotrophs are usually plants; they are also called "self feeders" or "primary producers".

Energy Production

Autotrophs produce their own energy by one of the following two methods:

Photosynthesis - Photoautotrophs use energy from sun to convert water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air into glucose. Glucose provides energy to plants and is used to make cellulose which is used to build cell walls. E.g. Plants, algae, phytoplankton and some bacteria. Carnivorous plants like pitcher plant use photosynthesis for energy production but depend on other organisms for other nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Hence, these plants are basically autotrophs.

Chemosynthesis - Chemoautotrophs use energy from chemical reactions to make food. The chemical reactions are usually between hydrogen sulfide/methane with oxygen. Carbon dioxide is the main source of carbon for Chemoautotrophs. E.g. Bacteria found inside active volcano, hydrothermal vents in sea floor, hot water springs.

Heterotrophs survive by feeding on organic matter produced by or available in other organisms. There are two types of heterotrophs:

Photoheterotroph - These heterotrophs use light for energy but cannot use carbon dioxide as their carbon source. They get their carbon from compounds such as carbohydrates, fatty acids and alcohol. E.g. purple non-sulfur bacteria, green-non sulfur bacteria and heliobacteria.

Chemoheterotroph - Heterotrophs that get their energy by oxidation of preformed organic compounds, i.e. by eating other organisms either dead or alive. E.g. animals, fungi, bacteria and almost all pathogens.

Food Chain

Autotrophs do not depend on other organism for their food. They are the primary producer and are placed first in the food chain. Heterotrophs that depend on autotrophs and other heterotrophs for their energy level are placed next on the food chain.

Herbivores that feed on autotrophs are placed in the second trophic level. Carnivores that eat meat and omnivores that eat all types of organisms are placed next in the trophic level.

References

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What's the difference between Autotroph and Heterotroph? Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food from the substances available in their surroundings using light (photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis). Heterotrophs cannot synthesize their own food and rely on other organisms - both...

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What's the difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic? 

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What's the difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic? 

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The distinction between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is considered to be the most important distinction among groups of organisms. Eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus, while prokaryotic cells do not. Differences in cellular structure of prokaryotes and eukaryotes include the presence of mitochondria and chloroplasts, the cell wall, and the structure of chromosomal DNA.

Prokaryotes were the only form of life on Earth for millions of years until more complicated eukaryotic cells came into being through the process of evolution.

Definition of eukaryotes and prokaryotes

Prokaryotes (pro-KAR-ee-ot-es) (from Old Greek pro- before + karyon nut or kernel, referring to the cell nucleus, + suffix -otos, pl. -otes; also spelled "procaryotes") are organisms without a cell nucleus (= karyon), or any other membrane-bound organelles. Most are unicellular, but some prokaryotes are multicellular.

Eukaryotes (IPA: [juːˈkæɹɪɒt]) are organisms whose cells are organized into complex structures by internal membranes and a cytoskeleton. The most characteristic membrane bound structure is the nucleus. This feature gives them their name, (also spelled "eucaryote,") which comes from the Greek ευ, meaning good/true, and κάρυον, meaning nut, referring to the nucleus. Animals, plants, fungi, and protists are eukaryotes.

Differences Between Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cells

The difference between the structure of prokaryotes and eukaryotes is so great that it is considered to be the most important distinction among groups of organisms.

The most fundamental difference is that eukaryotes do have "true" nuclei containing their DNA, whereas the genetic material in prokaryotes is not membrane-bound.

In eukaryotes, the mitochondria and chloroplasts perform various metabolic processes and are believed to have been derived from endosymbiotic bacteria. In prokaryotes similar processes occur across the cell membrane; endosymbionts are extremely rare.

The cell walls of prokaryotes are generally formed of a different molecule (peptidoglycan) to those of eukaryotes (many eukaryotes do not have a cell wall at all).

Prokaryotes are usually much smaller than eukaryotic cells.

Prokaryotes also differ from eukaryotes in that they contain only a single loop of stable chromosomal DNA stored in an area named the nucleoid, while eukaryote DNA is found on tightly bound and organised chromosomes. Although some eukaryotes have satellite DNA structures called plasmids, these are generally regarded as a prokaryote feature and many important genes in prokaryotes are stored on plasmids.

Prokaryotes have a larger surface area to volume ratio giving them a higher metabolic rate, a higher growth rate and consequently a shorter generation time compared to Eukaryotes.

Genes

Prokaryotes also differ from eukaryotes in the structure, packing, density, and arrangement of their genes on the chromosome. Prokaryotes have incredibly compact genomes compared to eukaryotes, mostly because prokaryote genes lack introns and large non-coding regions between each gene.

Whereas nearly 95% of the human genome does not code for proteins or RNA or includes a gene promoter, nearly all of the prokaryote genome codes or controls something.

Prokaryote genes are also expressed in groups, known as operons, instead of individually, as in eukaryotes.

In a prokaryote cell, all genes in an operon(three in the case of the famous lac operon) are transcribed on the same piece of RNA and then made into separate proteins, whereas if these genes were native to eukaryotes, they each would have their own promoter and be transcribed on their own strand of mRNA. This lesser degree of control over gene expression contributes to the simplicity of the prokaryotes as compared to the eukaryotes.

References

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What's the difference between Eukaryotic Cell and Prokaryotic Cell? The distinction between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is considered to be the most important distinction among groups of organisms. Eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus, while prokaryotic cells do not. Differences in cellula...

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You and your group have just been hired by the American Museum of Natural History in New York as summer interns. On your first day, you’re asked to classify a collection of mystery organisms into the appropriate domain and kingdom. All you’ve been given are simple descriptions, pictures of the organisms, and a model to aid in your classification. Try to classify as many as you can before your shift is up!