Answer to Question #276094 in Cell Biology for Hutchii

Question

Explain briefly why the following ideas are false.

A. Photosynthesis is the food-making process done by plants.

B. The Calvin cycle was called the dark reaction because it can only take place in the absence of light.

C. Photosynthesis can only be powered by sunlight.

Answer 1

1. Plants are autotrophs this means that they produce their food. They utilize the process of photosynthesis to transform sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen, and modest sugars that the plant uses as fuel.
2. Dark reaction is also called light-independent point. The dark reaction does not need light as a vital factor. Therefore, it can occur both in the absence or presence of light. The dark reaction does not mean it occurs only at night or in the dark period.
3. It is the only biological process that can use energy that instigates in outer space (sunlight) and convert it into chemical compounds (carbohydrates) that every organism uses to power its metabolism. The significance of photosynthesis is not just that it can capture sunlight's energy.