Which step in photosynthesis does not need light?(1 point)
Responses
Chlorophyll absorbs energy.
Oxygen is released.
Oxygen is released.
The step in photosynthesis that does not need light is the release of oxygen.
The step in photosynthesis that does not require light is the release of oxygen. To understand why this step does not need light, let's break down photosynthesis into its two main stages: the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions.
During the light-dependent reactions, light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll, a pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells. This absorption of light energy is the first step of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll molecules use this energy to convert water molecules (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and energy-rich molecules called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate).
After the light-dependent reactions, the second stage, also known as the light-independent reactions or Calvin cycle, takes place. In this stage, ATP and NADPH produced during the light-dependent reactions are used to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugar molecules, such as glucose (C6H12O6). This process does not directly require light, as it mainly relies on the stored energy from the ATP and NADPH.
Therefore, the release of oxygen is the step in photosynthesis that does not need light, as it occurs during the light-dependent reactions when chlorophyll absorbs energy from light.