Your teacher gives you an unknown bacterium to observe. Select the method that would help you determine whether the bacterium is a chemotroph.(1 point)

Question

Responses

exposing the bacterium to direct sunlight to see if it converts light to chemical energy
exposing the bacterium to direct sunlight to see if it converts light to chemical energy

growing the bacterium in an agar tube filled with protein to see if it breaks the organic molecules down
growing the bacterium in an agar tube filled with protein to see if it breaks the organic molecules down

exposing the bacterium to carbon dioxide to see if it fixes carbon
exposing the bacterium to carbon dioxide to see if it fixes carbon

growing the bacterium in a sulfur solution to see if it breaks the inorganic molecules down
growing the bacterium in a sulfur solution to see if it breaks the inorganic molecules down
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Answer 1

To determine whether the unknown bacterium is a chemotroph, the best method would be:

growing the bacterium in an agar tube filled with protein to see if it breaks the organic molecules down

Chemotrophs obtain their energy from chemical compounds, often organic molecules, and testing if the bacterium can metabolize the protein would help ascertain if it uses chemical energy. The other options pertain to other metabolic processes such as phototrophy (light to chemical energy), autotrophy (carbon fixing), or specific inorganic compound breakdown.