chemoorganotrophy
/ˌkiːməʊɔːˈɡanəˌtrəʊfi/ /ˌkɛməʊɔːˈɡanəˌtrəʊfi/(also chemorganotrophy) Biology
noun
A form of chemotrophic nutrition in which biosynthesis requires the oxidation of one or more of a variety of organic compounds acting as electron donors.
- In such nutrition, organic compounds often also provide a source of carbon (chemoheterotrophy), and the terms are sometimes confused..
Origin
1940s; earliest use found in Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology. From chemo- + organo- + -trophy. Compare chemolithotrophy and photoorganotrophy.