What are chemosynthetic communities?
Chemosynthesis is a process very similar to photosynthesis, but chemical energy is used instead of light energy to make food from the carbon in carbon dioxide. Many other animals are associated with these chemosynthetic communities because of this increased productivity.
Where are chemosynthetic communities?
Chemosynthetic communities have been found in hot springs on land, and in cold seeps, on sunken ships, and even decomposing whale carcasses on the seafloor.
What is the definition of chemosynthesis in science?
Chemosynthesis can be defined as the biological production of organic compounds from C-1 compounds and nutrients, using the energy generated by the oxidation of inorganic (e.g., hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide, ammonium) or C-1 organic (e.g., methane, methanol) molecules.
What does chemosynthetic ecosystem mean?
Chemosynthetic ecosystems form where chemical energy from subsurface geological or microbiological processes gets available at the seafloor. They are called “cold seeps” because they are independent of magmatic heat and hence functionally different from hydrothermal ecosystems.
Are there chemosynthetic communities in the Gulf of Mexico?
Frequently fringing these chemosynthetic communities are filter-feeding species such as sponges, corals, and hydroids, as well as the many species that live on them. Interestingly, seep communities vary depending on their depth within the Gulf of Mexico.
What is an example of chemosynthesis?
The energy source for chemosynthesis may be elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, molecular hydrogen, ammonia, manganese, or iron. Examples of chemoautotrophs include bacteria and methanogenic archaea living in deep sea vents.
What is chemosynthesis in geography?
(kē′mō-sĭn′thĭ-sĭs, kĕm′ō-) The synthesis of organic compounds by certain bacteria, especially in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, using energy obtained from the chemical oxidation of simple inorganic compounds. Chemosynthesis is thought to have been used by the first forms of life on Earth.
What is chemosynthesis kid definition?
From Academic Kids Chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of 1-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, rather than sunlight, as in photosynthesis.
How do chemosynthetic habitats differ from photosynthetic ones?
Photosynthesis occurs in plants and some bacteria, wherever there is sufficient sunlight – on land, in shallow water, even inside and below clear ice. Chemosynthesis occurs in bacteria and other organisms and involves the use of energy released by inorganic chemical reactions to produce food.
What is the difference between photosynthetic and chemosynthetic bacteria?
The key difference between photosynthetic and chemosynthetic bacteria is that photosynthetic bacteria obtain energy from sunlight in order to produce carbohydrates while chemosynthetic bacteria obtain energy from the oxidation of inorganic substances in order to produce carbohydrates.
What is seep in sea?
A cold seep (sometimes called a cold vent) is an area of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occurs, often in the form of a brine pool.
What organisms live in cold seeps?
Organisms such as shrimps and crabs feed on the detritus produced by the mussels, clams and tubeworms, and predatory organisms such as octopus, fish and crustaceans are then attracted to this vibrant community to complete the food chain. Many of the species present are only found in association with cold seeps.
Where are chemosynthetic organisms found?
Chemosynthetic organisms can be called chemoautotrophs . Chemoautotrophs live in environments where sunlight is unable to reach. Bacteria that use chemosynthesis can thrive in Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. They can also be found in soil, lava mud, hot springs, and hydrothermal vents.
What kind of organisms do chemosynthesis?
Chemoautotrophs, organisms that obtain carbon through chemosynthesis, are phylogenetically diverse, but also groups that include conspicuous or biogeochemically-important taxa include the sulfur-oxidizing gamma and epsilon proteobacteria , the Aquificae, the methanogenic archaea and the neutrophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria.
What do organisms use chemosynthesis?
Chemosynthesis Chemosynthesis Definition. Chemosynthesis is the conversion of inorganic carbon-containing compounds into organic matter such as sugars and amino acids. Chemosynthesis Equation. There are many different ways to achieve chemosynthesis. Function of Chemosynthesis. Types of Chemosynthetic Bacteria.