How do trees survive and grow without any animal food?

Trees are autotrophs, meaning they produce their own food through photosynthesis. Using sunlight, water absorbed through their roots, and carbon dioxide from the air, they synthesize glucose in their leaves via chlorophyll. This glucose fuels cellular respiration, providing energy for growth, reproduction, and all metabolic processes. For nutrients beyond carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, trees absorb minerals like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium directly from the soil through their root systems, often aided by symbiotic fungi called mycorrhizae that dramatically extend their reach. So trees never need to consume other organisms because they generate their own organic compounds from simple inorganic ingredients, making sunlight their fundamental energy source rather than food in the animal sense.