Which process is performed by chemoautotrophs in environments without light, using oxidation of inorganic substances to synthesize sugars?

Which process is performed by chemoautotrophs in environments without light, using oxidation of inorganic substances to synthesize sugars?

• A. Fermentation
• B. Inversion mutation
• C. Lactic acid fermentation
• D. Chemosynthesis

Answer: (D)

In environments without light, chemoautotrophs rely on chemical energy obtained by oxidizing inorganic substances to drive the fixation of carbon dioxide into sugars. This process is chemosynthesis, where energy from inorganic chemical reactions powers the creation of organic molecules without any sunlight. Fermentation and lactic acid fermentation use organic substrates for energy and carbon rather than oxidizing inorganic compounds, and an inversion mutation is a genetic change, not a metabolic process.

In environments without light, chemoautotrophs rely on chemical energy obtained by oxidizing inorganic substances to drive the fixation of carbon dioxide into sugars. This process is chemosynthesis, where energy from inorganic chemical reactions powers the creation of organic molecules without any sunlight. Fermentation and lactic acid fermentation use organic substrates for energy and carbon rather than oxidizing inorganic compounds, and an inversion mutation is a genetic change, not a metabolic process.