Fotoautotróficos

Fotoautotróficos refers to organisms that produce their own food using light energy through a process called photosynthesis. This metabolic strategy is fundamental to most ecosystems on Earth. The term is derived from Greek words: "photo" meaning light, "auto" meaning self, and "trophos" meaning feeder.

These organisms, primarily plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of organic compounds, typically glucose. This process involves taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water, and using sunlight as the energy source to synthesize these organic molecules. Oxygen is released as a byproduct of this reaction.

The ability to be fotoautotrófico is crucial as these organisms form the base of most food chains. They are the primary producers, supplying energy and organic matter for heterotrophic organisms, which cannot produce their own food and must consume other organisms. Without fotoautotróficos, the vast majority of life on Earth would not be sustainable. Their role in oxygen production also plays a vital part in maintaining the atmospheric composition necessary for aerobic respiration.