Chemotroph

A chemotroph Greek words “chemo” (meaning chemical) and “troph” (meaning nourishment) is an organism that obtains energy by the oxidation of electron donors in their environments.^[1] These molecules can be organic (chemoorganotrophs) or inorganic (chemolithotrophs). The chemotroph designation is in contrast to phototrophs, which use photons. Chemotrophs can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic. Chemotrophs can be found in areas where electron donors are present in high concentration, for instance around hydrothermal vents.