Many plants naturally contain bitter-tasting chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 13 - 2002 - Paper 1
Question 13
Many plants naturally contain bitter-tasting chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides. In animals, these chemicals interfere with the electron transport stage of cellu... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Many plants naturally contain bitter-tasting chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 13 - 2002 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. a decrease in ATP production.
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Answer
Cyanogenic glycosides inhibit the electron transport chain in cellular respiration, which is essential for ATP production. When this pathway is disrupted, the ability of cells to generate ATP from oxidative phosphorylation is reduced, leading to a significant decrease in ATP levels.
Step 2
B. an increase in energy storage.
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An increase in energy storage is unlikely when ATP production is decreased. The animals consuming these plants would face a lack of available energy due to the inhibited metabolism, leading to reduced energy storage.
Step 3
C. a decrease in oxygen production.
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The consumption of cyanogenic glycosides does not lead to a direct decrease in oxygen production, as animals do not produce oxygen. Instead, it affects their cellular respiration process, limiting ATP generation.
Step 4
D. an increased level of aerobic respiration.
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In fact, the ingestion of these plants would not result in an increased level of aerobic respiration. Rather, it would lead to a decrease in aerobic respiration efficiency due to the inhibition of the electron transport chain.
