Question

An oak tree gets nourishment from the Sun and produces acorns. Squirrels eat the acorns for food. What happens to the molecules in the food consumed by the squirrel?
A.
The molecules get converted to energy only.
B.
The molecules are destroyed in the animal's body.
C.
The molecules get converted to energy and other types of molecules.
D.
The molecules get eliminated completely by the squirrel as waste.

Answer 1

C.

The squirrel breaks down food molecules (catabolism) to release energy (ATP/heat) and also uses atoms from those molecules to build new ones (anabolism) — e.g., making body tissues, fats, proteins. Some breakdown products are exhaled (CO2), used, stored, or eliminated as waste (urine, feces). Matter is conserved; molecules are transformed, not destroyed.