You searched for: “chemosynthesis
chemosynthesis, chemosynthetic
1. The use of inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide to synthesize carbohydrates from energy released by chemical reactions rather than by absorbed light.
2. The synthesis of organic compounds using chemical energy derived from the oxidation of simple inorganic substrates.
Word Entries at Get Words: “chemosynthesis
chemosynthesis
The process of carbon fixation carried out by certain microbes, based on the energy in certain reduced compounds; such as, methane or hydrogen sulfide, as opposed to the use of light energy, as in photosynthesis.

The discovery of chemosynthesis in the deep ocean was possibly the most striking scientific discovery in the field of oceanography during the twentieth century, so much so that scientists now think in terms of "before 1977" and "after 1977."

The ecosystems of the hydrothermal vents depend less on the sun's energy than any of the other systems on the earth.

This entry is located in the following unit: Ocean and Deep Sea Terms (page 2)