Which of the following groups of organisms do not have members that can be called autotrophs?

Analyze the question: We are asked which group has no members that are autotrophs. Autotrophs make their own food, either by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Concept: Organisms are classified by how they get nutrition:

• Autotrophs make their own organic food from simple inorganic substances. Examples are green plants, algae and some bacteria.
• Heterotrophs depend on other organisms for food. Examples are animals and fungi.

Checking each option:

• A. Protists: This group is mixed. Some, like Euglena and diatoms, have chlorophyll and photosynthesize, so they are autotrophs. Others, like Amoeba and Paramecium, are heterotrophs. So this group does have autotrophic members.
• B. Mosses: These are green, photosynthetic plants (bryophytes), so they are autotrophs.
• C. Chlorophyta: These are green algae, such as Spirogyra and Chlamydomonas. They contain chlorophyll and photosynthesize, so they are autotrophs.
• D. Fungi: Fungi, such as mushrooms, yeast and moulds, have no chlorophyll. They feed by absorption, as saprophytes or parasites, so they are heterotrophs. No fungus is an autotroph.

Answer: The group with no autotrophic members is Fungi, which is option D.

Exam tip: Remember that fungi are never autotrophic. Words like "protists" and "algae" signal groups that usually include some photosynthesizers. Whenever you see "which group has NO autotrophs," look for fungi (or animals) first.