Question

Define chemoautotrophs.

Answer 1

Autotrophs are the primary producers in a food chain, such as plants on land or algae in the water. They occupy the first trophic level. They are capable of manufacturing their own food by photosynthesis or by chemosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy (carbohydrates). Chemosynthesis is a process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates.

The two major types of autotrophs are chemoautotrophs and photoautotrophs. Photoautotrophs are those organisms that make their food by photosynthesis while chemoautotrophs are those that make their own food by chemosynthesis.