Video Transcript
Which of the following is a process
used by some autotrophs to synthesize their own food using light energy? (A) Polymerization, (B)
biosynthesis, (C) chemosynthesis, (D) photosynthesis, or (E) monomerization.
This question asks us about
autotrophs and how they get food. “Troph” is a word part that means
food. And it is common to hear about both
autotrophs and heterotrophs. The word part hetero- means other
or different. So heterotrophs feed on other
organisms. The word part auto-, on the other
hand, means self. So an autotroph is able to produce
its own food without relying on the consumption of other organisms. Choices (A), (B), and (E) refer to
chemical processes unrelated to autotrophic food production. So we can eliminate these
choices.
Chemosynthesis refers to the
conversion of chemicals into food. Bacteria living in deep-sea
hydrothermal vents are able to do this and are an example of chemoautotrophs. This process has developed among
some organisms in such environments that lack light and/or oxygen and where
organisms can be subject to immense pressures and temperatures. However, the question asks us about
the creation of food using light energy. The word part photo- means
light. And this is the process used by
some organisms, like plants, to produce food from carbon dioxide and water using
light energy. Therefore, the correct answer is
(D).
The process used by some autotrophs
to synthesize their own food using light energy is photosynthesis.
