A plant's photoperiod is the amount of time each day that the plant receives sunlight. A plant with a 12L:12D photoperiod receives 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark per day.
A researcher investigated whether photoperiod affects the development of flower buds in chrysanthemums, a type of flowering plant. She maintained three samples of chrysanthemums that did not initially have any flower buds under different photoperiods. After two weeks, the researcher recorded the presence or absence of flower buds in each sample. The researcher's results are shown in the table.
Sample Photoperiod Results
1 13L:11D fully developed flower buds formed on all plants
2 14L:10D partly developed flower buds formed on some plants
3 15L:9D no buds formed on any plant
Which statement is best supported by the researcher's findings?
A.
The photoperiod regulates the differentiation of cells of chrysanthemums into flower buds.
B.
Chrysanthemums that receive less sunlight are more likely to have genes for flower buds.
C.
Chrysanthemums require at least 14 hours of light per day to express flower bud genes.
D.
The photoperiod promotes mutations that cause chrysanthemums to develop flower buds.
A. The photoperiod regulates the differentiation of cells of chrysanthemums into flower buds.
This statement is best supported by the researcher's findings, as the different photoperiods resulted in varying levels of flower bud development in the chrysanthemum samples. Sample 1, which had a 13-hour light period, had fully developed flower buds on all plants. Sample 2, with a 14-hour light period, had partly developed flower buds on some plants. And sample 3, with a 15-hour light period, had no buds formed on any plant. This suggests that the photoperiod plays a role in regulating the differentiation of cells into flower buds in chrysanthemums.