It’s OK to say that your brain is solar powered, because
A) mitochondria in plant cells convert solar power to the chemical power that is used to run your brain.
B) cellular respiration is powered by sunlight.
C) the antenna complex in chloroplasts acts like a tiny solar panel, collecting sunlight to make the sugars that you consume to run your brain.
D) mitochondria in plant cells use solar power to split water molecules, creating the energy that runs your brain
Cellular respiration is powered by sunlight.
The correct answer is C) the antenna complex in chloroplasts acts like a tiny solar panel, collecting sunlight to make the sugars that you consume to run your brain.
To understand why this answer is correct, we need to know a few key points about the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert sunlight into chemical energy in the form of glucose (sugar). This process occurs within the chloroplasts, which contain a pigment called chlorophyll, responsible for capturing sunlight.
Option A can be eliminated because mitochondria, which are responsible for converting glucose into usable energy in the form of ATP, are not found in plant cells but rather in animal cells.
Option B is incorrect because cellular respiration, the process by which glucose is broken down to release energy, is not directly powered by sunlight. Cellular respiration is an entirely different process that occurs in the mitochondria.
Option D is also incorrect because while mitochondria are involved in cellular respiration, they do not directly use solar power to split water molecules. This process, called photolysis, occurs during photosynthesis, not cellular respiration.
Therefore, the correct option is C) the antenna complex in chloroplasts acts like a tiny solar panel, collecting sunlight to make the sugars that you consume to run your brain. The chloroplasts in plant cells capture sunlight through their antenna complexes and use this energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose through the process of photosynthesis. This glucose is then transported throughout the plant and can be consumed as food, providing the energy needed for various cellular activities, including brain function.