In basic biology, plants that can make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide are called what?

Introduction / Context:
One of the most fundamental ideas in biology is how living organisms obtain their food and energy. Green plants, algae, and some bacteria can manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis, using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. This question asks you to recall the scientific term for such organisms, which is essential vocabulary for school level biology as well as competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The organisms in question are plants that make their own food. - They use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, which implies photosynthesis. - The options are Autotrophs, Hydrophylls, Decomposers, and Heterotrophs.

Concept / Approach:
Organisms are broadly classified based on how they obtain food. Autotrophs are self feeding; they produce organic food molecules from inorganic raw materials using energy from sunlight or chemical reactions. Green plants are classic autotrophs. Heterotrophs depend on other organisms for food. Decomposers are heterotrophic organisms that break down dead matter. Hydrophylls is not a standard term for nutritional mode. Therefore, the correct term for plants that make their own food is autotrophs.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question describes photosynthesis, where plants make glucose from carbon dioxide and water with sunlight. Step 2: Recall the definition of autotrophs as organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances. Step 3: Compare the options. Autotrophs fits this definition exactly. Step 4: Note that heterotrophs are organisms like animals and many microbes that cannot make their own food. Step 5: Select Autotrophs as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Any standard biology textbook states that green plants are autotrophic and belong to the category of autotrophs. Diagrams of the food chain show plants at the producer level, with arrows indicating that energy flows from autotrophs to heterotrophs. These references confirm that autotroph is the accepted scientific term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Hydrophylls: This term is not widely used as a nutritional classification and does not describe the ability to make food from sunlight. - Decomposers: These are organisms like certain bacteria and fungi that obtain energy by breaking down dead organic matter, not by photosynthesis. - Heterotrophs: These organisms depend on external food sources and cannot produce food internally from inorganic materials.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse autotrophs and heterotrophs or to think that decomposers are a type of plant because they are often drawn in ecosystem diagrams. Another pitfall is not paying attention to the prefix auto, which means self. Remembering that autotroph means self feeding helps you quickly choose the right term in exam conditions.

Final Answer:
Plants that make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide are called autotrophs.