An organotroph is an organism that obtains hydrogen or electrons from organic substrates. This term is used in microbiology to classify and describe organisms based on how they obtain electrons for their respiration processes. Some organotrophs such as animals and many bacteria, are also heterotrophs. Organotrophs can be either anaerobic or aerobic.
Different from an organotroph is a lithotroph, an organism which obtains its electrons from inorganic substrates.
History The term was suggested in 1946 by Lwoff and collaborators.Lwoff, A., C.B. van Niel, P.J. Ryan, and E.L. Tatum (1946). Nomenclature of nutritional types of microorganisms. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology (5th edn.), Vol. XI, The Biological Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, pp. 302–303, .
See also Autotroph Chemoorganotroph Primary nutritional groups
References
Michael Allaby. "organotroph." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999, Retrieved 2012-03-30 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-organotroph.html The Prokaryotes - A Handbook on the Biology of Bacteria 3rd Ed., Vol 1, CHAPTER 1.4, Prokaryote Characterization and Identification 7, Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/doc/9724380/1The-Prokaryotes-A-Handbook-on-the-Biology-of-Bacteria-3rd-Ed-Vol-1 Respiration in aquatic ecosystems Paul A. Del Giorgio, Peter J. leB. Williams, Science, 2005, Retrieved 2012-04-24 from https://books.google.com/books?id=pD5RUDW1m7IC&pg=PP1
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