Tennessee Wastewater Operator Practice Exam

What do algae primarily use for growth and reproduction?

1. Dissolved carbon dioxide

2. Oxygen

3. Water

4. Soil nutrients

The correct answer is: Dissolved carbon dioxide

Algae primarily utilize dissolved carbon dioxide for growth and reproduction because they are photosynthetic organisms. In the process of photosynthesis, algae absorb sunlight and combine water with carbon dioxide to produce glucose and oxygen. The dissolved carbon dioxide in water is essential for this process, as it provides the carbon needed to form organic compounds that fuel their growth. While water is indeed crucial for algae, as they require it for photosynthesis and as a habitat, it is not the primary source of energy or matter for their metabolic processes. Similarly, while algae need certain soil nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, for optimal growth, these nutrients serve as supplementary resources rather than the main ingredients in their photosynthetic process. The utilization of oxygen is typically a byproduct of photosynthesis in algae, as they produce it during the conversion of carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy. Thus, dissolved carbon dioxide stands out as the key component that drives their growth and reproductive processes.