Question:
The radiolabelled carbon in carbon dioxide supplied to potato plants in an experiment was seen in the tuber eventually. Trace the movement of the labelled carbon dioxide.
Solution:
When the potato plant carries out photosynthesis using the CO2 which is radiolabelled, it forms Oxygen and glucose (C6H12O6) where the carbon in the glucose
molecule has the radiolabelled carbon present. The process of measuring is by autoradiography which detects the radioactive carbon and traces the components along
with the movement in the plant body.