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Animals need to eat plants or other animals for food. Why can't they create their own food using sunlight, like plants do?

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Solution

Animals cannot create their own food using sunlight like plants do due to the lack of a process called photosynthesis. Here's a step-by-step explanation:

  1. Photosynthesis is a process used by plants, algae, and certain bacteria to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into food. This process requires a special pigment called chlorophyll, which is responsible for absorbing sunlight.

  2. Chlorophyll is found in structures called chloroplasts within the cells of plants and algae. This pigment absorbs light energy and uses it to combine carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose, a type of sugar that serves as food for the plant.

  3. Animals, however, do not have chlorophyll or any other pigment that can absorb sunlight and convert it into food. Therefore, they cannot perform photosynthesis.

  4. Instead, animals must obtain their energy by eating plants or other animals. This is because animals' cells are designed to break down glucose and other nutrients, rather than create them.

  5. When animals eat, they break down the food in their digestive system. The nutrients from the food, including glucose, are then absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to cells throughout the body.

  6. Inside the cells, a process called cellular respiration occurs. This process uses oxygen to break down glucose, releasing the energy stored in its bonds. This energy is then used to fuel the animal's activities.

  7. So, while plants are called autotrophs, meaning they can create their own food, animals are heterotrophs, meaning they must obtain their food from other sources.

In conclusion, animals can't create their own food using sunlight like plants do because they lack the necessary structures and pigments to perform photosynthesis. Instead, they must obtain their energy by consuming other organisms.

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