Plants perceive light to drive circadian rhythms based on which of the following:

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Question restatement: The prompt asks which mechanism underlies how plants perceive light to regulate circadian rhythms.

Option A: 'Chemi-osmotic potentials established across membranes in the cell' describes energy or ion-gradient processes, not the sensing of light for circadian timing. While chemiosmotic processes are fundamental to energy production, they are not the initial light-detecting step that informs circadian clocks.

Option B: 'Specific proteins that have special properties for driving metabolomic pathways' is vague and does not specify light sensing or photoreceptors. Although some proteins influence metabolism, this choice lacks the explicit link to light perception and circadian entrainment through defined photoreceptors.

Option C: 'Proteins with attached chromophores that experience a conformational change when photons hit the chromophore' describes photoreceptors containing chromophores (e.g., flavin, bilin derivatives in cryptochromes/phytochromes) that undergo conformational shifts upon light absorption, which is precisely how plants detect light to synchronize circadian rhythms. This mechanism translates light signals into biochemical changes that reset the clock.

Option D: 'The light photons absorbed by chlorophylls' refers to photosynthesis and energy capture, not to the molecular photoreceptors that transduce light into clock-related signals. Although chlorophyll absorbs light, the question targets perception mechanisms that drive circadian regulation, which involve specialized photoreceptors rather than general chlorophyll absorption.

Synthesis: The core idea in light-driven circadian entrainment is that specific photoreceptor proteins, containing chromophores, detect photons and change conformation to trigger signaling cascades that adjustment the clock. The other options either describe downstream energy processes, lack specificity about light sensing, or focus on photosynthesis rather than clock entrainment. The most accurate description is the presence of chromophore-containing photoreceptors that alter their structure upon light absorption, enabling the plant to perceive light for circadian regulation.

AGRI30048_2025_SM2 Exam: Plant Breeding and Genetics (AGRI30048_2025_SM2)- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

Plants perceive light to drive circadian rhythms based on which of the following:

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