An autotropic plant is one that can produce its own food using inorganic substances and energy sources. These organisms primarily convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants use carbon dioxide and water to create glucose and release oxygen as a byproduct. Autotropic plants are essential to ecosystems as they serve as the primary source of energy for heterotrophic organisms that cannot produce their own food.