Composition/Chemistry
When the hydrothermal vent shoots out water from its chimney, the water’s temperature can range from 64 degrees Celsius to 464 degrees Celsius and can also be acidic. The water in the ocean floor normally reaches 2 degrees Celsius which makes the drastic water increase an anomaly. This anomaly was resolved when scientists concurred that the intense heat derived from the lava within the ocean mantle. Hydrothermal vents not only spew out extremely hot water but it also releases harmful toxins such as arsenic, cadmium and lead.
Chemosynthesis, the substitute for photosynthesis in hydrothermal vents is a necessity for life in these biological communities especially archaea. Atomic compounds in chemosynthesis such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, oxygen and water react to form sugar and sulfuric acid. Chemosynthesis is a product of the chemical reactions occurring during the hydrothermal vents. Through the utilization of chemosynthesis, archaea becomes the basis of the food web in the oceanic floor.
Chemosynthesis, the substitute for photosynthesis in hydrothermal vents is a necessity for life in these biological communities especially archaea. Atomic compounds in chemosynthesis such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, oxygen and water react to form sugar and sulfuric acid. Chemosynthesis is a product of the chemical reactions occurring during the hydrothermal vents. Through the utilization of chemosynthesis, archaea becomes the basis of the food web in the oceanic floor.