sulfur
chemical reactions
Deep sea organisms living near hydrothermal vents do not rely on sunlight for energy. Instead, they derive energy from chemicals present in the hydrothermal fluids. These organisms form unique ecosystems that are independent of photosynthesis.
Chemosynthetic organisms are organisms that can produce energy through chemical processes rather than relying on sunlight for energy, like photosynthetic organisms. These organisms are often found in extreme environments, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents or caves, where sunlight is scarce. Examples of chemosynthetic organisms include certain bacteria and archaea.
Deep ocean hydrothermal vents are an extreme environment due to high temperature and pressure, toxic chemicals like hydrogen sulfide, and absence of sunlight. Organisms living near these vents have adapted to thrive in these harsh conditions by relying on chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis for energy.
chemoautotrophssulfur
Special bacteria (chemosynthetic bacteria) live there which use the sulfur from the hydrothermal vents to make their own food. Other organisms, such as copepods (and other zooplankton), eat this bacteria. Other organisms, such as snails, shrimp, crabs, tube worms, and fish eat the copepods. Therefore, the number of organisms living in these vent systems are 10,000 times greater than areas in the ocean that do not have hydrothermal vents. These life forms would not be possible without the chemosynthetic bacteria, since sulfur is toxic to almost all other forms of life.
The primary source of energy for hydrothermal vents is chemosynthesis, where bacteria use chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide to produce energy instead of sunlight. These bacteria form the base of the food chain at hydrothermal vents, supporting unique ecosystems.
Some prokaryotes, such as thermophiles and chemolithotrophs, obtain energy from hydrothermal vents. Thermophiles can survive and thrive in the extreme temperatures of hydrothermal vents, while chemolithotrophs use inorganic compounds like hydrogen sulfide as a source of energy.
Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Vent organisms depend on chemosynthetic bacteria for food. The water from the hydrothermal vent is rich in dissolved minerals and supports a large population of chemoautotrophic bacteria.
Chemosynthetic organisms are typically found in environments where sunlight is limited or absent, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and caves. These organisms are capable of using chemicals as an energy source to produce food through chemosynthesis, rather than relying on photosynthesis.
Scientists were surprised by the variety of organisms living around hydrothermal vents because these environments were thought to be inhospitable due to extreme conditions such as high pressure, temperature, and lack of sunlight. The discovery of diverse life forms thriving in these conditions challenged previous notions about where life could exist on Earth.