Chemosynthesis is a method of energy production carried out by some living beings.
Chemosynthesis is the name given to a method of energy production carried out by various living organisms . The mechanism is developed through the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ), after the release of energy that is produced through oxidation reactions carried out by certain inorganic compounds.
In other words : an inorganic chemical oxidation reaction releases energy that is used in the form of adenosine triphosphate. This use is known as chemosynthesis.
How chemosynthesis develops
The organism that performs chemosynthesis takes the energy found in certain foods. To do this, it pumps hydrogen atoms through the cell membranes, something that causes a difference in the existing concentration. Once the action is finished, the hydrogen atoms return and release the energy that is used to synthesize ATP.
Those organisms that are capable of developing chemosynthesis are called chemosynthetic or chemoautotrophs . They have the ability to take in carbon dioxide to obtain carbon , in a way similar to what plants do.
There are bacteria that live at the bottom of the sea and that use chemosynthesis to obtain energy. Because the sun's rays do not reach the underwater world, it is impossible for these bacteria to produce energy through photosynthesis: chemosynthesis, therefore, allows them to generate their energy reserves.
There are underwater organisms that carry out chemosynthesis.
Different phases of the process
As with photosynthesis , chemosynthesis presents two very different phases: one produces reducing power (the ability of some biomolecules to act as proton acceptors or electron donors in certain metabolic reactions) and ATP ( tissue plasminogen activator , a protein linked to the blood clot dissolution process); in the other, carbon dioxide fixation takes place.
When an autotrophic organism reaches chemosynthesis, the chemosynthetics are expected to show some attraction to the reduced inorganic molecules found in the medium, the most important being H2S ( hydrogen sulfide ), H2 ( hydrogen ), Fe2+ ( iron ). ferrous ), S2O ( thiosulfate ) and S ( elemental sulfur ). The electrons that have been extracted from these substrates enter a chain that transports them, similar to aerobic respiration (which consists of extracting energy from organic molecules).
Following the characteristics of chemosynthesis, many scientists believe that this energy production mechanism can be developed on other planets , which opens the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life .
Types of bacteria that perform chemosynthesis
Bacteria can be classified into various groups, according to the substrate they use, as can be seen below:
* colorless sulfur bacteria: these bacteria are capable of oxidizing sulfur or compounds in which sulfur is found. They can transform H2S ( hydrogen sulfide ) that comes from decomposing organic matter, which is abundant in so-called wastewater (any type of water that has suffered a decrease in quality due to anthropogenic influence, that is, as a result of of the human being);
* nitrogen : this type of bacteria has the ability to oxidize reduced nitrogen compounds from the decomposition of plant remains and animal corpses, such as NH3 ( ammonia ), which it can then transform into NO3- ( nitrates ). Plants can assimilate these nitrates after transformation ;
* from iron : through oxidation, they can give ferric compounds from ferrous ones. In other words, these bacteria are capable of transforming mineral deposits of iron carbonates into iron oxide deposits;
* of hydrogen : they are capable of using molecular hydrogen and are considered facultative chemoautotrophs .