auxotrophic

adjective

auxo·​tro·​phic ˌȯk-sə-ˈtrō-fik 

: requiring a specific growth substance beyond the minimum required for normal metabolism and reproduction by the parental or wild-type strain

auxotrophic mutants of bacteria

auxotrophy

ȯk-ˈsä-trə-fē 

noun

Examples of auxotrophic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Aqueous faecal extracts were prepared and assayed for auxotrophic growth-enhancement and bacterial mutagenicity (using fluctuation tests with Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and Escherichia coli WP2uvrApKM101). —Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 8 Oct. 2012

Word History

Etymology

Latin auxilium "assistance, aid" + -o- + -trophic — more at auxiliary entry 1

Note: The terms auxotroph and auxotrophic were introduced in a paper by the American biologist Bernard D. Davis (1916-94) and laboratory technician Elizabeth S. Mingioli (1926-97), "Mutants of Escherichia coli requiring methionine or Vitamin B12," Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 60, no. 1 (July, 1950), p. 17: "The penicillin method … has permitted convenient isolation of auxotrophic1 mutants of Escherichia coli with specific growth requirements … [footnote] ¹The terms "auxotrophic" (Lat. auxilium = "aid"; Gr. troph = "food") and the corresponding noun "auxotroph" are suggested for convenience in denoting biochemical mutants with increased nutritional requirements."

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for auxotrophic

• autotrophic
• hypertrophic
• neurotrophic
• amyotrophic
• oligotrophic
• eutrophic
• trophic

Medical Definition

auxotrophic

adjective

auxo·​tro·​phic ˌȯk-sə-ˈtrō-fik 

: requiring a specific growth substance beyond the minimum required for normal metabolism and reproduction of the parental or wild-type strain

auxotrophic bacterial mutants

compare prototrophic