Chemosyntheses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process by which certain organisms convert carbon molecules into organic matter using energy derived from chemical reactions rather than sunlight
2. A method of energy production in which specific microorganisms utilize inorganic substances to synthesize organic compounds without relying on photosynthesis
3. The biological pathway utilized by some extremophiles to create energy and sustain growth through the oxidation of chemicals in their environment

Etymology: "Chemosyntheses" is simply the plural of "chemosynthesis," and the term is a modern scientific coinage built from two Greek-derived pieces. The first, "chemo-," comes from "chemia" (the Greek-derived element used in New Latin "chēmīa" and English "chemistry"), which in turn descends from "khumeia," a word that traces back through Medieval Latin "alchemia" and Arabic "al-kīmiyāʾ." The second part, "synthesis," comes from Ancient Greek "sunthesis," meaning "a putting together," from "sun" (together) and "tithenai" (to place). Put together, the compound describes building or producing something through a chemical reaction, and the plural form simply refers to multiple instances or types of this process. The word belongs to the same family as "chemistry," the discipline it borrows from, and as "synthesis," which it narrows to the chemical sense.

Synonyms: chemical synthesis, biochemical synthesis, artificial synthesis, synthetic process, chemical formation