Study for the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam. Dive into questions with detailed explanations and hints to enhance your understanding. Prepare strategically for a successful exam experience!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What substance in plants is important for photosynthesis?

  1. Cellulose

  2. Chlorophyll

  3. Starch

  4. Lignin

The correct answer is: Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is the vital substance in plants that plays an essential role in photosynthesis. This pigment is primarily located in the chloroplasts of plant cells and is responsible for absorbing light energy, primarily from the sun. Chlorophyll captures the light energy and converts it into chemical energy, facilitating the transformation of carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. This process is fundamental to the survival of plants and indirectly supports life on Earth by providing oxygen and serving as the base of the food chain. In contrast, cellulose is a structural component of plant cell walls and is not involved in photosynthesis. Starch serves as an energy storage form in plants, which is produced after photosynthesis has occurred, and lignin provides structural support and rigidity to plants but also has no role in the process of photosynthesis. Thus, chlorophyll is central to photosynthesis, enabling plants to harness light energy for their growth and development.