Some photosynthetic organisms contain chloroplasts that lack photosystem II yet are able to survive. The best way to detect the lack of photosystem II in these organisms would be to A) test for CO₂fixation in the dark. B) determine whether they have thylakoids in the chloroplasts. C) do experiments to generate an action spectrum. D) test for liberation of O₂in the light. E) test for production of either sucrose or starch.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Organisms lacking photosystem II cannot split water to release oxygen (O2) during photosynthesis. Testing for the liberation of oxygen in the light would directly reveal the absence of photosystem II, as this process is directly linked to water splitting facilitated by photosystem II.

Some Photosynthetic Organisms Contain Chloroplasts That Lack Photosystem II Yet