The process by which organisms produce energy by oxidizing chemicals rather than using sunlight, common in deep-sea environments. Chemosynthetic bacteria form the base of food webs around hydrothermal vents and in other extreme environments.
From Greek 'chemo-' (chemical) and 'synthesis' (putting together), coined in 1897 by Russian microbiologist Sergei Winogradsky. The term distinguished this process from photosynthesis, which uses light energy instead of chemical energy.
Chemosynthesis powers entire ecosystems in the deep ocean where sunlight never reaches, supporting giant tube worms and unique creatures around volcanic vents! This process may represent how life first evolved on Earth and could exist on other planets with similar chemical conditions.
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