Plausible biological alternative for normal photosynthesis

People have been trying to imagine elaborate alien biologically possible ecosystems for a while. A lot of people seem to both want but ignore one of those fundamental aspects of our own ecosystem, algae and photosynthesis in general. They also tend to want these alien environments to be hospitable for humans (always more fun if we are in the story).

What I want: is a hard-science chemically plausible alternative to photosynthesis.

Conditions:

• Can use any reasonable natural source of energy
• must store said energy in a reactive compound (equivalent of sugar)
• must produce oxygen as a waste element (any form as long as its unbonded with another element)
• may use [CO2 and water] but cannot use light at all. May use light but not CO2 and water
• May assume the environment is chemically and thermally different than Earth, though please stick to agents that would occur naturally in geology preferably in abundance.
• The organism doesn't have to be carbon based
• For every reactant used; Must describe the conditions needed for that reactant to be present (only 1 is needed preferable whichever is more reasonable with the others) EX: [ if Fe203 is a reactant, can be found as a solid on a surface with an oxygen atmosphere]

posted about 7 years ago

anon‭

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