Indicate if each of the following descriptions matches lithotrophic (L), organotrophic (O), or phototrophic (P) organisms. Your answer would be a four-letter string composed of letters L, O, and P only, e.g. LLPP.
( ) They feed on other living organisms or their organic products.
( ) They are responsible for the current oxygen-rich atmosphere of the Earth.
( ) They are all known to be prokaryotic.
( ) They are the primary energy converters in hydrothermal vents in the ocean floor.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While organotrophs (such as animals) feed on organic material produced by other organisms, the primary energy converters obtain their energy from the nonliving world. Phototrophs (such as plants) use the energy of sunlight. Molecular oxygen, a by-product of phototrophs, has changed the Earth's atmosphere and the entire biosphere. In hydrothermal vents, anaerobic lithotrophic microbes live in conditions similar to those in the early days of life on Earth.

Indicate If Each of the Following Descriptions Matches Lithotrophic (L)