heterotrophicadj.

1893 Jrnl. Royal Microsc. Soc. 665 According as lichens carry on their existence with or without these lodgers, the author [sc. Minks] places them respectively under the head of ‘autotrophic’ or ‘heterotrophic’ lichens.

1896 Jrnl. Royal Microsc. Soc. 326 Prof. J. Wiesner proposes the general term Trophy for all unilateral excesses of growth in tissues or in organs which are dependent on the position of the organ in question, the term position being understood in a wide sense, as the relation in space of the heterotrophic organ to the horizon and to its parent-shoot.

1900 A. J. Ewart tr. W. Pfeffer Physiol. Plants I. vii. 363 Plants which are unable to assimilate carbon dioxide must obtain all their organic food-materials from without (heterotrophic or allotrophic nutrition).

1969 Ecology 50 88/1 Eleven heterotrophic aerobic bacterial types were isolated from the microcosm.

1935 W. H. Brown Plant Kingdom xvii. 378 Some of the autotrophic bacteria can live heterotrophically.

1971 I. G. Gass et al. Understanding Earth ix. 139/1 Fox has been able to show that proteinoid microspheres will..come into existence spontaneously on innumerable occasions. If the correct foods are available, they can proliferate heterotrophically indefinitely.