Identify the Role of Autotrophic Bacteria

Bacteria are unicellular organisms that can be found in various environments, including soil, water, and inside the human body. They are categorized into two main groups based on their metabolism: autotrophic and heterotrophic. Autotrophic bacteria can produce their own food using light (photosynthetic bacteria) or chemical reactions (chemosynthetic bacteria), while heterotrophic bacteria obtain their nutrients by consuming organic matter.

This distinction is crucial in understanding how bacteria contribute to nutrient cycling in ecosystems. Heterotrophic bacteria, for example, decompose organic material, returning essential nutrients to the environment, whereas autotrophic bacteria can form the base of food webs in certain ecosystems.