Why do some plants such as cacti prepare materials for photosynthesis during the night?
AMoonlight excites their pigments better
BCarbon dioxide is more plentiful at night
CTheir enzymes only work in full darkness
DCooler night temperatures conserve water
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Cooler night temperatures conserve water
1. In the harsh dry heat of a desert, every drop of water must be used sparingly.
2. Some plants such as cacti prepare materials for photosynthesis during the night.
3. They do this by a temporary carbon fixation and storage process.
4. Opening the stomata at night conserves water because of the cooler temperatures.
5. Cacti have also evolved the ability to carry out low levels of photosynthesis without opening stomata at all.
6. That extreme mechanism is reserved for extremely dry periods.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 8 "Photosynthesis", section 8.3 Using Light Energy to Make Organic Molecules_
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