Question

When an electron has been excited to a higher energy state, it can then drop back to the original level, re-emitting the light as fluorescence. When chlorophyll is extracted in solution, and a bright red or blue light is shown on it, the chlorophyll fluoresces brightly. However, when the chlorophyll is packaged inside chloroplasts and the red or blue light is turned on, there is no fluorescence. This most likely indicates that

A. the red and blue light waves are reflected by the chlorophyll membrane.
B. chlorophyll in solution is a different molecule than chlorophyll in a chloroplast.
C. excited electrons are transferred to electron acceptors in the chloroplast.
D. fluorescence does not work in living cells.
E. green light must be used to make living cells fluoresce.

Answer 1

When chlorophyll is extracted, it fluoresces brightly when exposed to red or blue light. However, when chlorophyll is inside chloroplasts, there is no fluorescence. This indicates that the excited electrons are transferred to electron acceptors in the chloroplast.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an electron is excited to a higher energy state, it can then drop back to the original level and re-emit light as fluorescence. In the case of chlorophyll, when it is extracted in a solution and exposed to bright red or blue light, it fluoresces brightly.

However, when chlorophyll is packaged inside chloroplasts and exposed to the same red or blue light, there is no fluorescence. This indicates that the excited electrons are transferred to electron acceptors in the chloroplast rather than being re-emitted as fluorescence.

The transfer of excited electrons to electron acceptors is an important part of the photosynthesis process. In chloroplasts, the excited electrons are transferred from chlorophyll to electron acceptors, which then use the energy to excite electrons from the splitting of water. This transfer of energy ultimately leads to the production of glucose.

Therefore, the correct answer is option C: excited electrons are transferred to electron acceptors in the chloroplast.