Question

The pea aphid, a type of insect, contains light-capturing pigments in its exoskeleton. Pea aphids gained the ability to synthesize these pigments from genes transferred from fungi. While pea aphids do not have chloroplasts or fix carbon, researchers have found that pea aphids with more pigments have higher levels of ATP than those with fewer pigments. Pea aphids also have been shown to increase production of ATP when exposed to sunlight. Based on this information, is the pea aphid a true autotroph?


A. No, because the pea aphid is unable to use the energy from sunlight.
B. No, because the pea aphid does not store energy from the sun as sugars.
C. Yes, because the pea aphid can store energy from the sun in ATP molecules. D. Yes, because the pea aphid does not need to use energy from food.

Answer 1

Pea aphid can capture light due to the genetic ability given by the fungi but they cannot form their own food as the plants do by getting sunlight and using water and the co2 prepare their own food and store it in their body.

Moreover aphid is the insect and insect are heterotrophic animals and not autotrophs.

Option A is the right one that pea aphid is unable to use energy from sunlight

Answer 2

The point C that states “Yes, because the pea aphid can store energy from the sun in ATP molecules.”

Is true.

This is because it uses photosynthesis to produce similar to plants.

They can easily produce the carotenoids that can be produced by the fungi, plants and microorganisms, etc. that act as an antioxidant for a human.