What are phototrophs?

Phototrophs are living things that use light to make their own food.

Imagine you're playing outside on a sunny day and you decide to grow your own snack. That's kind of what phototrophs do, they use sunlight like it’s a special tool to turn simple ingredients into food.

Think about plants in your garden. They take light, some water, and carbon dioxide from the air, and make food (like sugar) that helps them grow. That's phototrophs at work!

Some phototrophs are tiny, like algae floating in a pond or bacteria on a sunny rock. Just like you might use your favorite toy to build something fun, these little guys use light to build their food.

You’ve probably seen phototrophs before! The green plants in your lunchbox, the seaweed in the ocean, and even some kinds of bacteria that live on rocks, all are phototrophs. They're like tiny chefs who cook using light as their main ingredient.