An organism that obtains energy by breaking down chemical compounds from its environment rather than from sunlight or consuming organic matter.
From chemo- 'chemical' + -troph (from Greek trophe 'nourishment'). The term emerged in microbiology as scientists discovered these unusual energy sources.
Chemotrophs are the ultimate survivalists of the microbial world—they thrive in places with no sunlight, no food, just raw chemicals, making them candidates for life on other planets.
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