Which statement about plant nutrition is true?

Which statement about plant nutrition is true?

• A. Plants make their own food.
• B. Plants must obtain all energy from soil.
• C. Plants cannot perform photosynthesis.
• D. Plants obtain energy solely from animal digestion.

Answer: (A)

Plants make their own food is true because plants are autotrophs that synthesize organic compounds using light energy. Through photosynthesis, chlorophyll captures light and uses that energy to convert carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil into glucose, a form of chemical energy stored in sugars. That stored energy then powers the plant’s cells through respiration. While plants do take up minerals from soil to build tissues, the energy they use comes from light captured during photosynthesis, not from the soil. The other statements misstate energy sources: plants do perform photosynthesis, and they do not obtain energy solely from animal digestion.

Plants make their own food is true because plants are autotrophs that synthesize organic compounds using light energy. Through photosynthesis, chlorophyll captures light and uses that energy to convert carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil into glucose, a form of chemical energy stored in sugars. That stored energy then powers the plant’s cells through respiration. While plants do take up minerals from soil to build tissues, the energy they use comes from light captured during photosynthesis, not from the soil. The other statements misstate energy sources: plants do perform photosynthesis, and they do not obtain energy solely from animal digestion.