Which category describes organisms that obtain energy from chemicals and carbon from organic compounds?

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Multiple Choice

Which category describes organisms that obtain energy from chemicals and carbon from organic compounds?

Energy and carbon sources together determine this organism category. When energy comes from chemical reactions, that’s chemotroph. When the carbon source is organic compounds, that’s heterotroph. Combine them and you get chemoheterotrophs, which describes organisms that use chemicals for energy and organic carbon for assimilation. Autotrophs rely on inorganic carbon like CO2, so they wouldn’t fit the organic-carbon requirement. Phototrophs obtain energy from light, not chemicals, so they don’t match the energy source. Chemotrophs can cover energy from chemicals, but without specifying the carbon source, they’re not as precise as chemoheterotrophs in this context.

Energy and carbon sources together determine this organism category. When energy comes from chemical reactions, that’s chemotroph. When the carbon source is organic compounds, that’s heterotroph. Combine them and you get chemoheterotrophs, which describes organisms that use chemicals for energy and organic carbon for assimilation.

Autotrophs rely on inorganic carbon like CO2, so they wouldn’t fit the organic-carbon requirement. Phototrophs obtain energy from light, not chemicals, so they don’t match the energy source. Chemotrophs can cover energy from chemicals, but without specifying the carbon source, they’re not as precise as chemoheterotrophs in this context.

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