Mrs. Wade (who is always right, just ask her), is caring for her son's prize tomato plants while he attends a Tomatologist Conference.
She brings them into the house due to a pending ice storm and places them in a dark room. She provides plenty of water and soil nutrients, but does not turn on the lights to conserve energy.
Which of the following is most likely to occur first?
a
Light dependent cycle will continue at the same rate with adequate water and nutrients.
b
Calvin cycle will continue fas long as the products from the light dependent cycle and CO2 are available.
c
Photosynthesis will end abruptly, as Mrs. Wade is a plant murderer.
d
Fermentation will begin in the chloroplasts of the leaf cells.
The correct answer is b) Calvin cycle will continue as long as the products from the light dependent cycle and CO2 are available.
Even though the tomato plants are not receiving light, they can still continue the Calvin cycle as long as they have the necessary products from the light dependent cycle (ATP and NADPH) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The Calvin cycle does not directly require light, but relies on the products generated during the light dependent cycle. The plants will still be able to perform cellular respiration and generate energy from the stored sugars produced through the Calvin cycle.