Natural Science 2 (NAS 2) Challenge Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Exam!

The structure responsible for creating glucose during photosynthesis is the chloroplast. Chloroplasts are organelles found in the cells of plants and some algae, and they play a crucial role in transforming light energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of glucose. This process involves the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, utilizing sunlight and the chlorophyll pigment to capture and convert solar energy.

Within chloroplasts, the light-dependent reactions occur in the thylakoid membranes, where sunlight is captured, and energy molecules like ATP and NADPH are produced. The light-independent reactions, often referred to as the Calvin cycle, take place in the stroma of the chloroplasts. Here, ATP and NADPH generated in the first stage are used to convert carbon dioxide into glucose through a series of enzymatic reactions.

Other cellular structures do not play a direct role in the synthesis of glucose through photosynthesis. For instance, the nucleus contains genetic material and is responsible for regulating cellular activities, ribosomes synthesize proteins by translating messenger RNA, and mitochondria are involved in energy production via cellular respiration, converting glucose into ATP, but they do not create glucose themselves. Thus, the chloroplast is specifically designed for photosynthesis, making it