1. a form of nutrition in which an organism obtains energy from chemical reactions rather than from light, and synthesizes organic compounds from inorganic substances.
Usage: biology; microbiology; technical

Examples

• Certain bacteria rely on chemoautotrophy to survive in deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
• Chemoautotrophy allows some microorganisms to thrive in environments without sunlight.
• The discovery of chemoautotrophy expanded our understanding of how life can exist in extreme conditions.
• Nitrifying bacteria use chemoautotrophy to convert ammonia into nitrate.
• Unlike plants that depend on photosynthesis, chemoautotrophy-based organisms extract energy from chemical oxidation.