AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Instead of using light energy to turn carbon dioxide into sugar like plants do, they harvest chemical energy from the minerals and chemical compounds that spew from the vents-a process known as chemosynthesis . These compounds-such as hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen gas, ferrous iron and ammonia-lack carbon.

Detailed explanation-2: -Vent hypothesis These are porous geological structures produced by chemical reactions between solid rock and water. Alkaline fluids from the Earth’s crust flow up the vent towards the more acidic ocean water, creating natural proton concentration differences remarkably similar to those powering all living cells.

Detailed explanation-3: -The theory goes: At the time of life’s origin, the early ocean was acidic and filled with positively charged protons, while the deep-sea vents spewed out bitter alkaline fluid, which is rich in negatively charged hydroxide ions, Lane told LiveScience.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hydrothermal vents form at locations where seawater meets magma. A venting black smoker emits jets of particle-laden fluids. The particles are predominantly very fine-grained sulfide minerals formed when the hot hydrothermal fluids mix with near-freezing seawater.