If photosynthesizing green algae are provided with CO2 containing heavy oxygen (18O), later analysis will show that all of the following molecules produced by the algae contain 18O EXCEPT ________.
A) 3-phosphoglycerate
B) glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P)
C) glucose
D) ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP)
E) O2

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Oxygen gas (O2) produced by photosynthesis comes from the splitting of water, not from CO2. Therefore, it does not contain any carbon atoms and is not influenced by the presence of heavy oxygen in CO2.

If Photosynthesizing Green Algae Are Provided with CO2 Containing Heavy