Which option best describes chemoheterotrophs?

Prepare for the Microbial Metabolism Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions with helpful hints and detailed explanations. Ace your test with ease!

Chemoheterotrophs are defined by obtaining energy from chemical reactions (not light) and using organic compounds as their carbon source (not fixing CO2). In other words, they rely on chemical energy and preformed organic molecules for growth. This explains why the correct description is energy from chemicals combined with carbon from organic compounds. Descriptions that use energy from light describe phototrophs, and those that use CO2 as the carbon source describe autotrophs, so they don’t match chemoheterotrophs.