Question

You suspect that a newly discovered unicellular organism is undergoing photosynthesis. you add water and carbon dioxide to these cells and expose them to sunlight. If photosynthesis is occurring in these cells, which of the following would be produced as a direct result?

a) calcium carbonate
b) more carbon dioxide
c) adenosine triphosphate
d) simple sugars such as glucose

Answer 1

When undergoing photosynthesis, an organism takes in carbon dioxide and water and uses sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen. Glucose is the primary carbohydrate formed during this process, indicating the organism's ability to convert light energy into chemical energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a unicellular organism is undergoing photosynthesis, and it is supplied with water and carbon dioxide and exposed to sunlight, then it will produce simple sugars such as glucose as a direct result. Photosynthesis is a process where photoautotrophs use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and release oxygen as a waste product. In eukaryotic photoautotrophs like plants and algae, this process occurs in organelles called chloroplasts, whereas in prokaryotes like cyanobacteria, it happens within the cytoplasm and along folded membranes.

The general chemical equation for photosynthesis is 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2. This reveals that along with oxygen, glucose is produced which serves as a source of energy for the organism and can be converted into other forms of energy, such as ATP, during cellular respiration. Therefore, the presence of glucose indicates that photosynthesis is taking place.