Chemosynthesis

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chemosynthesis

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the biochemical process?Biological conversion of inorganic compounds into organic matter using chemical energy
2. What is the energy sources?Oxidation of H2, H2S, CH4, NH3, Fe2+, etc
3. What is chemosynthesis and how does it make food without sunlight?Chemosynthesis is a way tiny living things use chemicals like hydrogen sulfide or methane to turn carbon dioxide into food. They get energy from chemical reactions instead of sunlight.
4. Where can we find chemosynthetic life?Chemosynthetic organisms live in places with no light but plenty of chemicals, such as deep‑sea hydrothermal vents, methane seeps, and whale falls.

Chemosynthesis: The synthesis of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using energy derived from inorganic chemical reactions.
Chemoautotrophs: Organisms that obtain energy from the oxidation of inorganic compounds and carbon from CO2 or other inorganic sources.
Hydrothermal Vents: Geothermal vents on the seafloor that release mineral-rich, superheated water, supporting chemosynthetic ecosystems.
Aphotic Zone: The portion of a lake or ocean where there is little or no sunlight.