Which is a fate of oxygen after production in photosynthesis?

• A. Used in respiration
• B. Trapped in chloroplasts
• C. Converted to starch
• D. Used to make sugar

Answer: (A)

Oxygen formed during the light reactions is released as a gas and diffuses out of the chloroplasts into the surrounding environment, where it can be used by other organisms in cellular respiration to release energy from sugars. This makes oxygen “used in respiration” the best description of its fate after production. It isn’t stored or trapped in chloroplasts, and sugars are built from carbon from CO2, not from oxygen.