auto-, aut- +

Any harmful substance generated within the body; self poisonous.

1. Withdrawal and re-injection/transfusion of the patient's own blood.
2. Infusion of a patient's own blood, either collected and returned to the body during surgery or transfused from a stored supply.

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 bacteria and protists.

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. Plants and other organisms using photosynthesis are photolithoautotrophs; bacteria that utilize the oxidation of inorganic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide or ferrous iron as an energy source are chemolithoautotrophs.

There are some organisms that require organic compounds as a source of carbon, but which are able to use light or inorganic compounds as sources of energy. Such organisms are not defined as autotrophic, but rather as heterotrophic. An organism that obtains carbon from organic compounds but obtains energy from light is known as a photoheterotroph, while an organism that obtains carbon from organic compunds but obtains energy from the oxidation of inorganic compounds is referred to as a chemoheterotroph.

Autotrophs are a vital part of the food chain. 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.

So it is that heterotrophs; such as, animals, fungi, as well as most bacteria and protozoa all depend on autotrophs for energy and for the raw materials to make complex organic molecules. Heterotrophs obtain energy by breaking down organic molecules obtained in their 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.

1. Capable of synthesizing complex organic substances from simple inorganic substrates; including both the chemoautotrophic and the photoautotrophic organisms.
2. A reference to any organism for which environmental carbon dioxide is the only or main source of carbon in the synthesis of organic compounds by photosynthesis.

1. Of or relating to organisms; such as, green plants that can make complex organic nutritive compounds from simple inorganic sources by photosynthesis.
2. Needing only carbon dioxide or carbonates as a source of carbon and a simple inorganic nitrogen compound for metabolic synthesis>
3. Not requiring a specified exogenous factor for normal metabolism.
4. Self-nourishing; the ability of an organism to produce food from inorganic compounds.

A lake in which all or most of the organic matter present is derived from within the lake and not from drainage off the surrounding land.

1. The state of being self-sustaining and being able to produce food from inorganic compounds.
2. Carbon autotrophy, ability to assimilate CO2 from the air.
3. Nitrogen autotrophy, ability to assimilate nitrate or to do nitrogen fixation.
4. Sulfur autotrophy, ability to assimilate sulfate.

In botany, tending to grow in straight line.

In botany, the tendency to grow in a straight line unaffected by external factors.

A vacuum mechanism in a motor-car for raising petrol (gasoline) to a higher tank so that it may flow by gravity to the carburetor (primarily a British term).

1. The injection of an autovaccine into the body.
2. The use of antigenic products derived from an invading organism or the diseased tissue of an individual to invoke antibody synthesis.

A bacterial vaccine derived from micro-organism cultures obtained from the patient's own tissues or secretions.

The therapeutic use of autovaccines; autovaccination.

Animal movements of the handa are said to be autovisible. Chimpanzees are able to imitate, using even parts of their own body which they cannot see, simple movements (nonautovisible versus autovisible or hand movements).

The love of one's own voice.