Question

Phillip was performing a laboratory exercise on how temperature affects a plant's cellular activity. He discovered that when exposed to high temperatures (around 50 degrees Celsius), the overall rate of glucose production by photosynthesis decreased. Which of these conclusions would BEST explain why this occurred? A) The high temperatures denature the proteins in the plasma membrane, thus making many of the cells unable to function properly. B) The higher temperatures hardened the plasma membrane not allowing glucose to leave the cell. C) The temperature decreased the availability of oxygen to the plant. D) As you increase the temperature, the plant cells go dormant. Elimi

Answer 1

A. If the optimum temperature for a cell's functions is exceeded, chemical reactions slow down as enzymes and other proteins begin to denature (change shape due to increased vibration of the atoms in the molecules that make up the proteins).

Answer 2

A) The high temperatures denature the proteins in the plasma membrane, thus making many of the cells unable to function properly.

Step-by-step explanation:

Photosynthesis like other biochemical processes performs best in an ain optimum range of temperature. It is observed that, in the presence of sufficient carbon dioxide (CO₂) and light, the rate of photosynthesis increases with increase in temperatures up to the optimum level ( 20⁰C to 30⁰C). Increase in temperature beyond the optimum levels, the enzymes(proteins) become inactive or destroyed thus, stopping of photosynthetic reactions which are catalysed by enzymes.