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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Hyperthermophiles from Submarine Volcanic Habitats

    • Chemoautotrophs, organisms that obtain carbon through chemosynthesis, are phylogenetically diverse.
  • Types of Microorganisms

    • Autotrophs make their own food by using the energy of sunlight or chemical reactions, in which case they are called chemoautotrophs.
  • The Carbon Cycle

    • Although people often imagine plants as the most important part of the terrestrial carbon cycle, microorganisms such as single celled algae and chemoautotrophic bacteria are also important in converting atmospheric CO2 into terrestrial carbon.
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