Alga (singular of algae) is an example of an autotroph because it is capable of photosynthesis.
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Autotrophs
Autotrophs are organisms that produce organic compounds from an inorganic source of carbon (carbon dioxide) given a source of energy. If the source of energy is the reactions of inorganic chemical compounds, then the autotroph is known as a chemoautotroph. An example of a chemoautotroph is the bacteria that live in
deep sea vents. More commonly, autotrophs use light in the process of
photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the name of the process which photoautotrophs use to
convert water,
carbon dioxide, and solar energy into sugars and oxygen. Examples of photoautotrophs are plants and photosynthetic algae.
Autotrophs are the producers of the food chain. The word autotroph comes from the Greek autos=self and trophe=nutrition.
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