Chemosynthesis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Chemosynthesis \Chem`o*syn"the*sis\, n. [Chemical + synthesis.]
     (Plant Physiol.)
     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.
     -- {Chem`o*syn*thet"ic}, a.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.] Chemotaxis

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  chemosynthesis
       n : synthesis of carbohydrate from carbon dioxide and water;
           limited to certain bacteria and fungi