Question

oliva and pedro are planting a school garden. they observe many different species of plants growing while they work. one particular species of chili pepper, capsicum annuum, catches their eye. (see the photo below)
green plants have proteins that control the process of making glucose. how do plants obtain these proteins when needed?
a. by absorbing the protein from the soil
b. by using the dna genetic code as a template
c. by obtaining amino acids from seeds before germination
d. by using solar energy to convert other molecules into proteins

Explanation:

To determine how plants obtain proteins, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Plants don't absorb proteins from soil; they absorb nutrients like water and minerals. So this is incorrect.
• Option 2: Proteins are synthesized in cells. The DNA genetic code acts as a template for transcription (to make mRNA) and then translation (to assemble amino acids into proteins). This is the correct mechanism for protein synthesis in plants.
• Option 3: Amino acids for protein synthesis in plants are synthesized within the plant (e.g., from products of photosynthesis and other metabolic pathways), not obtained from seeds before germination (though seeds do have stored proteins for germination, but this isn't how plants obtain proteins for general protein synthesis during their life cycle). So this is incorrect.
• Option 4: Solar energy is used in photosynthesis to make glucose (a carbohydrate), not to convert other molecules into proteins directly. Protein synthesis involves using the genetic code and amino acids, not solar energy for that conversion. So this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. By using the DNA genetic code as a template