Interaction Between Autotrophs & Heterotrophs
- The process of photosynthesis, carried out by most autotrophs, takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into carbon compounds and oxygen
- This process is the source of atmospheric oxygen on Earth
- Aerobic respiration depends on oxygen, so organisms that respire aerobically can make use of the oxygen produced during photosynthesis when they respire, in turn producing carbon dioxide as a waste product, which can be used in photosynthesis
- Note that both autotrophs and heterotrophs make use of oxygen in respiration
- The combined photosynthesis of all photosynthetic organisms on earth removes a huge volume of carbon dioxide and releases a huge volume of oxygen into the atmosphere, while the combined respiration of all aerobically respiring organisms removes a huge volume of oxygen and releases a huge volume of carbon dioxide
- This is a major interaction between autotrophs and heterotrophs
- The process that transfer carbon are known as fluxes; huge carbon fluxes take place on Earth every year due to photosynthesis and respiration