Chemosynthesis vs. Photosynthesis — What's the Difference?

Energy production in bacteria using chemicals as the primary source.

The process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria transform light energy and use it to make food from CO2 and water.

Food production without sunlight.

A chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight.

Biological conversion of one or more carbon molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic molecules as a source of energy, rather than sunlight, as in photosynthesis.

Biological conversion of light energy into chemical energy.

Process by which certain organisms synthesize organic compounds from chemical reactions.

The green pigment chlorophyll is essential for this process.

Biochemical pathway involving various chemical reactions.

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's metabolic activities. This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars and starches, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water – hence the name photosynthesis, from the Greek phōs (φῶς), "light", and sunthesis (σύνθεσις), "putting together".

In biochemistry, chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon-containing molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic compounds (e.g., hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide) or ferrous ions as a source of energy, rather than sunlight, as in photosynthesis. Chemoautotrophs, organisms that obtain carbon from carbon dioxide through chemosynthesis, are phylogenetically diverse.

The process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (usually water), using light as an energy source. Most forms of photosynthesis release oxygen as a byproduct.

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.

(biology) Any process by which plants and other photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy,

The production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds such as carbon dioxide, using the oxidation of chemical nutrients as a source of energy rather than sunlight; it is limited to certain bacteria and fungi

Principally, oxygenic photosynthesis, any process by which plants and algae convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy.

Synthesis of organic compounds by energy derived from chemical changes or reactions. Chemosynthesis of carbohydrates occurs in the nitrite bacteria through the oxidation of ammonia to nitrous acid, and in the nitrate bacteria through the conversion of nitrous into nitric acid.

Also, non-oxygenic photosynthesis, used by purple and green bacteria, heliobacteria, and acidobacteria.

Synthesis of carbohydrate from carbon dioxide and water; limited to certain bacteria and fungi

The process of constructive metabolism by which carbohydrates are formed from water vapor and the carbon dioxide of the air in the chlorophyll-containing tissues of plants exposed to the action of light. It was formerly called assimilation, but this is now commonly used as in animal physiology. The details of the process are not yet clearly known. Baeyer's theory is that the carbon dioxide is reduced to carbon monoxide, which, uniting with the hydrogen of the water in the cell, produces formaldehyde, the latter forming various sugars through polymerization. Vines suggests that the carbohydrates are secretion products of the chloroplasts, derived from decomposition of previously formed proteids. The food substances are usually quickly translocated, those that accumulate being changed to starch, which appears in the cells almost simultaneously with the sugars. The chloroplasts perform photosynthesis only in light and within a certain range of temperature, varying according to climate. This is the only way in which a plant is able to organize carbohydrates. All plants without a chlorophyll apparatus, as the fungi, must be parasitic or saprophytic.

Synthesis of compounds with the aid of radiant energy (especially in plants)

The primary means by which the energy from the sun becomes available to life on Earth.

Chemosynthesis uses chemical energy from inorganic molecules, while photosynthesis uses solar energy.

No, photosynthesis requires sunlight to trigger the chemical reactions necessary for converting carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Chemosynthesis occurs in environments without sunlight, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents and sulfur-rich springs.

Chemosynthesis is a process where organisms produce organic compounds using the energy derived from chemical reactions, instead of sunlight.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and certain bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy, producing oxygen and glucose.

Chlorophyll absorbs light energy, which is crucial for initiating the reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose in photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis produces oxygen and glucose, while chemosynthesis typically generates sulfur or nitrogen compounds along with organic materials.

Photosynthesis provides oxygen essential for aerobic life forms and is the basis for the food chain in most ecosystems.

Typically, different organisms specialize in one process, though some bacteria have adaptations that could potentially allow them to switch between metabolic processes under different conditions.

Certain bacteria, especially those found in extreme environments like hydrothermal vents, perform chemosynthesis.

While chemosynthesis is effective in its context, it generally supports less biomass compared to the widespread and abundant life forms sustained by photosynthesis.

Chemosynthesis supports life in extreme, lightless environments, contributing to biodiversity in such niches, while photosynthesis significantly impacts global ecological balance, influencing climate and atmospheric conditions.

Organisms that perform chemosynthesis supply food and energy to the ecosystems they inhabit, supporting diverse forms of life in otherwise hostile environments.

Chemosynthetic organisms are adapted to extreme conditions such as high pressure, lack of light, and high or low temperatures, utilizing available chemicals to generate energy.

The discovery and study of chemosynthetic organisms have expanded our understanding of the possible conditions under which life can exist, suggesting that life could thrive in similar extreme environments on other planets.