chemosynthesis

(noun)

The production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds such as carbon dioxide, using the oxidation of chemical nutrients as a source of energy rather than sunlight; it is limited to certain bacteria and fungi.

Related Terms

Examples of chemosynthesis in the following topics:

  • Hyperthermophiles from Submarine Volcanic Habitats

    • Hyperthermophiles live in dark regions of the oceans and use chemosynthesis to produce biomass from single carbon molecules.
    • In biochemistry, chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic molecules (e.g. hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide) or methane as a source of energy.
    • Chemoautotrophs, organisms that obtain carbon through chemosynthesis, are phylogenetically diverse.
    • Many microorganisms in dark regions of the oceans also use chemosynthesis to produce biomass from single carbon molecules.
    • Indeed, it has been hypothesized that chemosynthesis may support life below the surface of Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa, and other planets.

  • Facultative Phototrophy

    • An autotroph or "producer", is an organism that produces complex organic compounds (such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) from simple substances present in its surroundings, generally using energy from light (photosynthesis) or inorganic chemical reactions (chemosynthesis).

  • Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Ecosystems

    • Vent bacteria can synthesize all the compounds they need to live from these nutrients, a process called chemosynthesis.

  • The Deep Sea and Barophilism

    • The three main sources of energy and nutrients for deep sea communities are marine snow, whale falls, and chemosynthesis at hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.

  • The Energetics of Chemolithotrophy

    • Unlike water, the hydrogen compounds used in chemosynthesis are high in energy.

  • Ocean Floor

    • This marine life receives its energy from both the extreme temperature difference (typically a drop of 150 degrees) and from chemosynthesis by bacteria.

  • Deinococcus and Thermus

    • This bacterium is a chemotroph — it performs chemosynthesis to obtain food.

  • Cold-Seep Ecosystems

    • This process of obtaining energy from chemicals is known as chemosynthesis.