Chemosynthesis
Life-sustaining process that converts inorganic compounds into organic matter.
Chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon-containing molecules and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic compounds or ferrous ions as a source of energy, rather than sunlight. It is a fundamental process that supports life in dark environments, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and is carried out by phylogenetically diverse chemoautotrophs, including sulfur-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria, Campylobacterota, Aquificota, methanogenic archaea, and neutrophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria. Chemosynthesis is significant because it enables biomass production where photosynthesis is impossible and may have been the first type of metabolism to evolve on Earth.
- field
- Biochemistry, Microbiology
- known_for
- Biological conversion of carbon molecules into organic matter using inorganic energy sources
Lore & Background
The term was later expanded to include chemoorganoautotrophs, and in the 1940s André Lwoff introduced the less restrictive term 'chemotrophy.'
Reader's Guide
Chemosynthesis is a cornerstone of biogeochemical cycles, enabling the transformation of chemical elements in environments devoid of sunlight. Colleen Cavanaugh then proposed and confirmed that chemosynthetic bacteria oxidizing sulfides allow tube worms to thrive near vents. The process supports large animal populations at hydrothermal vents, methane clathrates, cold seeps, whale falls, and isolated cave water. It has been hypothesized to support life below the surface of Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa, and may represent the earliest metabolism on Earth. Ongoing research focuses on nitrifying bacteria, thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria like Thermodesulfovibrio yellowstonii, and the potential of chemosynthetics to accumulate valuable resources for human needs.
Did You Know?
- Giant tube worms use bacteria in their trophosome to fix carbon dioxide using hydrogen sulfide as an energy source, producing sugars and amino acids.
- Hydrogen sulfide chemosynthesis produces solid globules of sulfur, visible as yellow globules in the cytoplasm of bacteria like purple sulfur bacteria.
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