Question

What will happen if we take a potted plant and keep it in the dark for one full day?

• A. The plant will die within a few hours as it cannot produce food without sunlight.
• B. The plant will become dormant, producing neither oxygen nor carbon dioxide.
• C. The plant will use its stored food to obtain energy and survive.
• D. The plant will perform only the dark reactions of photosynthesis

Answer 1

The correct option is (C):

Explanation of the correct options:

1. The glucose produced during photosynthesis is stored in the plant generally in the form of starch.
   
2. In the absence of sunlight, the starch will be used ​up by the plants to obtain the nutrients.
   
3. This helps maintain the life processes in plant even in the absence of light where photosynthesis does not occur.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option (A):

1. The plant does not die within a few hours of not being able to perform photosynthesis as there is enough stored food.
   

Option (B):

1. ​The plant will not become dormant as all the life processes in plants will continue.
   
2. There will be formation of carbon dioxide.
   

Option (C):

1. The plants will not perform the dark reaction of photosynthesis as it is dependent on the light reaction of photosynthesis. ​

Final Answer: If a potted plant is kept in the dark one full day the plant will use its stored food to obtain energy and survive.