You searched for: “autotrophs
autotroph (s) (noun), autotrophs (pl)
1. An organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy: "Green plants, algae, and certain bacteria are autotrophs."
2. Any organism capable of self-nourishment by using inorganic materials as a source of nutrients and using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis as a source of energy, as most plants and certain kinds of bacteria: "An autotroph is an organism that produces organic compounds from carbon dioxide as a carbon source, using either light or reactions of inorganic chemical compounds as a source of energy."

"Autotrophs are a vital part of the world's food chain because they take energy from the sun or from inorganic sources and convert them into a form (organic molecules) that they use to carry out biological functions including cell growth, and which other organisms (called heterotrophs) utilize as food."

"Carnivorous animals ultimately rely on autotrophs because the energy and organic building blocks obtained from their prey comes from autotrophs which were eaten by the prey."

—Compiled from information located in
Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology by James D. Mauseth;
Jones and Bartlett Publishers; Sudbury, Massachusetts; 2008; page 252.