Photosynthesis stops due to the atmosphere filled with dust after a meteor strike on Earth. Why would the dust cloud stop photosynthesis?
a
Need sunlight to drive process
b
Chlorophyll breaks down immediately, halting the process
c
Water is in short supply, and it is a product of the process
d
Need an atmospheric swiffer to get it going
a) Need sunlight to drive process
The correct answer is b. Chlorophyll breaks down immediately, halting the photosynthesis process.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some other organisms convert sunlight into chemical energy in the form of glucose. This process is driven by sunlight, as it provides energy to initiate the necessary reactions.
When a meteor strikes the Earth and creates a dust cloud in the atmosphere, the dust particles can block or scatter sunlight, significantly reducing the amount of light that reaches the surface. As a result, the availability of sunlight for photosynthesis is greatly diminished.
Additionally, chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for capturing light energy in plants, can be easily damaged by dust particles. When chlorophyll breaks down, it becomes unable to effectively capture sunlight and initiate the photosynthesis process.
Therefore, the presence of a dust cloud after a meteor strike would interrupt photosynthesis by reducing the availability of sunlight and causing damage to the chlorophyll molecules.