BIOL 1101 Chapter 7: Chapter 7
5 Oct 2016
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Photosynthesis: the use of light energy to convert co2 into organic compounds such as carbohydrates. Because they don"t need to import already formed organic compounds from the environment, photosynthetic molecules are autotrophs. Autotroph: an organism that produces its own food using co2 and other simple inorganic compounds from its environment and energy from the sun or from oxidation of inorganic substances. More narrowly de ned as photoautotrophs because the energy to drive the conversion of co2 into am inorganic compound comes from water. Chemoautotroph: an organism that obtains energy by oxidizing inorganic substances such as hydrogen, iron, sulfur, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates and uses co2 as a carbon source. Photoautotrophic organisms are known as earth"s primary producers: because they represent major groups of organisms that generate the organic compounds that are used by other organisms. Photosynthesis is an ancient process that evolved in bacteria perhaps as early as 2. 5 billion years ago.
