Final answer:
Systemic herbicides primarily affect the process of transcription within plant cells, which is responsible for copying genetic information to mRNA for protein synthesis. The inhibition of transcription leads to a halt in plant development, making option C) Transcription the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Systemic herbicides are chemicals that target enzymes in plants, affecting the essential processes that allow plants to grow and develop. When analyzing the cellular processes that could be affected by such herbicides, one should consider the primary activities cells undergo during growth. These processes include osmosis, mitosis, transcription, and glycolysis.
The correct option in relation to the process affected by systemic herbicides in the given choices is C) Transcription. Transcription is the process by which genetic information in DNA is copied to messenger RNA (mRNA), which then carries the code necessary for protein synthesis. Proteins are crucial for the function and regulation of the body's tissues and organs, including those of plants.
Many systemic herbicides function by disrupting the synthesis of specific proteins needed for plant growth by inhibiting the transcription process. This disruption leads to a halt in plant development, as essential proteins are no longer produced at the rate or in the form necessary for the plant's cells to function and divide.
Processes like osmosis and mitosis are also vital for plant health but are not as directly affected by systemic herbicides as transcription. Glycolysis, the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, is also critical for energy production in cells but is not the primary target of such herbicides. Therefore, transcription is the process typically affected by systemic herbicides, rendering option C correct.