Multiple Choice
Which characteristic of life is shared by cells from a daisy, bacteria, and a dog?
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1. Introduction to Biology
Characteristics of Life
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Which of these statements is true about autotrophs, but not heterotrophs?
A
They can produce their own organic molecules from inorganic substances.
B
They cannot perform photosynthesis.
C
They must consume other organisms to obtain energy.
D
They rely exclusively on external sources of organic carbon.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the key difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs: Autotrophs can produce their own organic molecules from inorganic substances, while heterotrophs rely on consuming other organisms for energy and organic molecules.
Recall that autotrophs, such as plants and certain bacteria, perform photosynthesis or chemosynthesis to convert inorganic substances (like carbon dioxide and water) into organic molecules (like glucose).
Eliminate the incorrect options: Autotrophs can perform photosynthesis, so the statement 'They cannot perform photosynthesis' is false. Similarly, autotrophs do not need to consume other organisms for energy, making 'They must consume other organisms to obtain energy' incorrect.
Consider the statement 'They rely exclusively on external sources of organic carbon': Autotrophs do not rely on external organic carbon because they synthesize organic molecules from inorganic carbon sources, making this statement false.
Conclude that the correct statement is 'They can produce their own organic molecules from inorganic substances,' as this is a defining characteristic of autotrophs.
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