Which of the following organisms is a chemo-autotroph?
Answer Details
Bacteria is a chemo-autotroph.
Chemo-autotrophs are organisms that obtain energy from chemical reactions and use this energy to synthesize organic compounds from inorganic substances, such as carbon dioxide. They do not require sunlight or organic nutrients to survive.
Bacteria are a diverse group of microorganisms that can be found in various environments, including soil, water, and the human body. Some bacteria are chemo-autotrophs, which means they obtain energy by breaking down inorganic compounds such as ammonia, sulfur, and iron. They use this energy to synthesize their own organic compounds, including amino acids, nucleotides, and carbohydrates.
Chemo-autotrophic bacteria play important roles in the ecosystem by serving as primary producers and recycling nutrients. Some chemo-autotrophic bacteria are also involved in processes such as bioremediation, which is the use of microorganisms to clean up environmental pollutants.
In contrast, viruses are not considered living organisms because they cannot carry out metabolic processes on their own and require a host cell to reproduce. Paramecium and Euglena are eukaryotic organisms that are capable of carrying out photosynthesis and are therefore considered photoautotrophs.