Final answer:
Photosynthesis is performed by plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, all of which are photoautotrophs. Eukaryotic autotrophs like plants and algae use chloroplasts for this process, while prokaryotic cyanobacteria do so within their cellular membranes and cytoplasm.
Step-by-step explanation:
The organisms capable of performing photosynthesis are not limited to plants alone. Algae and certain bacteria known as cyanobacteria are also capable of this process. These organisms are referred to as photoautotrophs because they utilize light energy to produce their own food. In contrast, animals, fungi, and most other bacteria are heterotrophs, depending on the sugars produced by photosynthetic organisms for their energy needs. Lastly, chemoautotrophs are a unique group of bacteria that synthesize sugars by extracting energy from inorganic chemical compounds, not relying on sunlight.
Photosynthesis is a process that involves the synthesis of organic compounds using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight, releasing oxygen as a byproduct. In eukaryotic autotrophs such as plants and algae, this process occurs in specialized organelles called chloroplasts, where starch also accumulates. On the other hand, in prokaryotes like cyanobacteria, photosynthesis is less localized, occurring within folded membranes, extensions of the plasma membrane, and in the cytoplasm.