chemoautotrophic

(adjective)

An organism obtaining its nutrition through the oxidation of non-organic compounds (or other chemical processes); as opposed to the process of photosynthesis.

Related Terms

  • lithosphere
  • carbon cycle

Examples of chemoautotrophic in the following topics:

  • Chemoautotrophs and Chemoheterotrophs

    • Chemoautotrophs and chemoheterotrophs make their food using chemical energy rather than solar energy.
    • Chemoautotrophs are able to synthesize their own organic molecules from the fixation of carbon dioxide.
    • Chemoautotrophs are able to thrive in very harsh environments, such as deep sea vents, due to their lack of dependence on outside sources of carbon other than carbon dioxide.
    • Chemoheterotrophs, unlike chemoautotrophs, are unable to synthesize their own organic molecules.
    • They do, however, still obtain energy from the oxidation of inorganic molecules like the chemoautotrophs.
  • Strategies for Acquiring Energy

    • Photosynthetic autotrophs (photoautotrophs) use sunlight as an energy source, whereas chemosynthetic autotrophs (chemoautotrophs) use inorganic molecules as an energy source.
    • Many chemoautotrophs in hydrothermal vents use hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is released from the vents, as a source of chemical energy.
    • This allows chemoautotrophs to synthesize complex organic molecules, such as glucose, for their own energy and in turn supplies energy to the rest of the ecosystem.
    • As no sunlight penetrates to this depth, the ecosystem is supported by chemoautotrophic bacteria and organic material that sinks from the ocean's surface.
    • Distinguish between photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs and the ways in which they acquire energy
  • Growth Terminology

    • Chemoautotrophs are also a type of autotroph.
    • Most chemoautotrophs are bacteria and archaea that live in hostile environments (such as deep sea vents).
    • Chemoautotrophs are thought to be the first organisms to inhabit earth.
  • The Purpose and Process of Photosynthesis

    • A third very interesting group of bacteria synthesize sugars, not by using sunlight's energy, but by extracting energy from inorganic chemical compounds; hence, they are referred to as chemoautotrophs.
    • In a (d) deep sea vent, chemoautotrophs, such as these (e) thermophilic bacteria, capture energy from inorganic compounds to produce organic compounds.
  • Overview of Proteobacteria

    • Most members are facultatively or obligately anaerobic, chemoautotrophs, and heterotrophic, but there are numerous exceptions.
  • The Energetics of Chemolithotrophy

    • Chemoautotrophs generally fall into several groups: methanogens, halophiles, sulfur oxidizers and reducers, nitrifiers, anammox bacteria, and thermoacidophiles.
  • Betaproteobacteria

    • Nitrosomonas is a genus comprising rod shaped chemoautotrophic bacteria.
  • Nitrification

    • Nitrobacter is a genus of mostly rod-shaped, gram-negative, and chemoautotrophic bacteria.
  • Biogeochemical Cycles

    • Energy flows directionally through ecosystems, entering as sunlight (or inorganic molecules for chemoautotrophs) and leaving as heat during the many transfers between trophic levels.
  • The Sulfur Cycle

    • Some marine ecosystems rely on chemoautotrophs, using sulfur as a biological energy source.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.