His space station has plants growing inside it, and astronauts who eat the fruits and vegetables from those plants. Because it i
s in space, the station is sealed so no material can get in or out. The space station is in Earth’s shadow, so no light is getting into it. The sensors in the space station show that carbon dioxide in the air is increasing.What is happening to the energy storage molecules in the plants and humans in the space station? Explain your answer as completely as possible.
Photosynthesis is not taking place and carbon dioxide is not being processed.
Explanation:
The process by which plants make glucose (carbohydrates = energy stores) from carbon dioxide and water is called photosynthesis and uses sunlight energy. A by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen.So plants use water and sunlight to grow and they produce oxygen. Animals on the other hand eat plants, use oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
Since the space station is in the shadow of the earth, the plants are unable to complete the process of photosynthesis and the carbon dioxide that is being produced by the humans cannot be utilized by the plants due to no sunlight. There for the carbon dioxide is going to continue to build up as the energy storage molecules are being depleted and not replenished.
