Which organelle in a plant cell captures radiant energy from the Sun?
A.
chloroplast
B.
mitochondrion
C.
ribosome
D.
nucleus
A. chloroplast
The organelle in a plant cell that captures radiant energy from the Sun is the chloroplast.
The organelle in a plant cell that captures radiant energy from the Sun is the chloroplast. To arrive at this answer, you can recall or look up the functions of different organelles in a plant cell.
Firstly, let's rule out the options that are not involved in capturing radiant energy from the Sun:
- The mitochondrion (B) is responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP through cellular respiration. It does not capture radiant energy from the Sun.
- The ribosome (C) is responsible for protein synthesis and has no involvement in capturing radiant energy.
- The nucleus (D) contains the genetic material of the cell but does not participate directly in capturing energy from the Sun.
Now, let's consider option A, the chloroplast. A chloroplast is a specialized organelle found in plant cells that contains chlorophyll, a pigment that absorbs light. Through photosynthesis, chloroplasts absorb radiant energy from the Sun, convert it into chemical energy, and produce glucose for the plant to use as a source of energy.
Therefore, the correct answer is A. chloroplast.