Question

compare organisms in the table. which of the following explains why the pawpaw belongs in the kingdom plantae, but blue-green algae does not?

autotrophic	photosynthesizing	multicellular	prokaryotic
fern	fern	mushroom	methanogen
grass	grass	puffball
methanogen	pawpaw	grass
pawpaw		pawpaw

• the pawpaw absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, unlike blue-green algae.
• the pawpaw contains chlorophyll for photosynthesis, unlike in blue-green algae.
• the pawpaw is able to produce its own food for energy, unlike blue-green algae.
• the pawpaw is composed of many cells containing organelles, unlike blue-green algae.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Taxonomic Classification of Organisms
Characteristics that define and separate biological kingdoms.

Step 1: Analyze the characteristics of both organisms from the table

Let's look at where each organism is listed in the provided table:

• Blue-green algae: Listed under Autotrophic, Photosynthesizing, and Prokaryotic. It is not listed under Multicellular.
• Pawpaw: Listed under Autotrophic, Photosynthesizing, and Multicellular. It is not listed under Prokaryotic (meaning it is eukaryotic, containing membrane-bound organelles like a nucleus).

Step 2: Evaluate the differences

To belong to the kingdom Plantae, an organism must be multicellular and eukaryotic (having cells with membrane-bound organelles).

• Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are unicellular prokaryotes. They lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.
• Pawpaw is a multicellular eukaryote. Its cells contain membrane-bound organelles.

Let's evaluate the given options based on this distinction:

1. “The pawpaw absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, unlike blue-green algae.”

• Incorrect: Both are photosynthesizing, meaning both absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

1. “The pawpaw contains chlorophyll for photosynthesis, unlike in blue-green algae.”

• Incorrect: Both are photosynthesizing and contain chlorophyll.

1. “The pawpaw is able to produce its own food for energy, unlike blue-green algae.”

• Incorrect: Both are autotrophic, meaning both produce their own food.

1. “The pawpaw is composed of many cells containing organelles, unlike blue-green algae.”

• Correct: The pawpaw is multicellular and eukaryotic (contains organelles), whereas blue-green algae are prokaryotic (lack organelles) and unicellular.

Answer:

The pawpaw is composed of many cells containing organelles, unlike blue-green algae.