het·er·o·troph 
(hĕtər-ə-trŏf′, -trōf′)
(hĕtər-ə-trŏf′, -trōf′)n.
An organism that is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition because it cannot synthesize its own food.
het′er·o·trophic adj.
het′er·o·trophi·cal·ly adv.
het′er·otro·phy (-ə-rŏtrə-fē) n.