A student conducted a scientific experiment with a plant. She cut out three 1-inch circles from construction paper and attached each circle to a different leaf of the plant. Finally, she set the plant in front of a sunny window with good air flow and left it there. She made sure that the plant was given enough water during her experiment. After 2 days, she removed one of the circles; after 4 days, she removed another circle; and at the end of the week, she removed the last circle.
Here are her results:
Day 2: slight mark where the paper covered the leaf; it is a lighter green than the rest of the leaf.
Day 4: yellow circle where the construction paper was.
Day 7: almost white circle where the paper covered the leaf. Using your knowledge of photosynthesis, which answer choice explains what most likely will happen to those leaves once the plant is put back in the sun without the construction paper circles attached?
(1 point)
Responses
The plant will die because the damage caused by the construction paper circles prohibited photosynthesis to occur at all.
Those areas that were covered by the paper circles will now be able to absorb the sunlight energy into the chlorophyll contained in the chloroplasts, photosynthesis will occur in those areas, and the green color will eventually return.
The rest of the plant will develop yellow or white circles just like the leaves that had the construction paper circles on them and photosynthesis will not occur in those areas even though the sunligh energy is being absorbed by the chlorophyll contained in the chloroplasts.
Those leaves will fall off and the rest of the plant will continue to grow and perform photosynthesis.
Those areas that were covered by the paper circles will now be able to absorb the sunlight energy into the chlorophyll contained in the chloroplasts, photosynthesis will occur in those areas, and the green color will eventually return.
Based on the given information, the most likely explanation for what will happen to those leaves once the plant is put back in the sun without the construction paper circles attached is:
Option 2: Those areas that were covered by the paper circles will now be able to absorb the sunlight energy into the chlorophyll contained in the chloroplasts, photosynthesis will occur in those areas, and the green color will eventually return.
According to the results, on Day 2, there was a slight mark and a lighter green color on the leaf under the construction paper circle. This indicates that some photosynthesis was still happening, although at a reduced rate. On Day 4, a yellow circle appeared, suggesting that photosynthesis was significantly affected. And on Day 7, an almost white circle suggests that photosynthesis was completely inhibited in that area.
When the plant is put back in the sun without the construction paper circles attached, the uncovered areas of the leaves will be exposed to sunlight, allowing them to absorb sunlight energy and use it for photosynthesis. As a result, photosynthesis will occur in those areas, and the green color will eventually return.
Option 1: The plant will die because the damage caused by the construction paper circles prohibited photosynthesis to occur at all – This option is not likely because there was some evidence of photosynthesis occurring, even if it was reduced, on Day 2.
Option 3: The rest of the plant will develop yellow or white circles just like the leaves that had the construction paper circles on them, and photosynthesis will not occur in those areas even though the sunlight energy is being absorbed by the chlorophyll contained in the chloroplasts – This option is not supported by the given information. The other leaves that were not covered by the construction paper circles were not affected and there is no evidence to suggest that they will develop similar circles without the circles being attached to them.