Which plant cell organelle captures light energy to help produce chemical energy?

• A. Mitochondria
• B. Ribosomes
• C. Chloroplasts
• D. Nucleus

Answer: (C)

Chloroplasts capture light energy and use it to make chemical energy. In plant cells, chlorophyll within chloroplasts begins photosynthesis by turning light into energy carriers (ATP and NADPH) in the light-dependent reactions. Those energy carriers then power the Calvin cycle, which uses carbon dioxide to build sugar. The result is chemical energy stored in glucose that the plant can use for growth and metabolism. Mitochondria also make energy, but they don’t capture light themselves; they convert chemical energy from sugars into ATP. Ribosomes build proteins, and the nucleus stores genetic material. So chloroplasts are where light energy becomes chemical energy.