The pea aphid, a type of insect, contains light-capturing pigments in its exoskeleton. pea aphids gained the ability to synthesize these pigments from genes transferred from fungi. while pea aphids do not have chloroplasts or fix carbon, researchers have found that pea aphids with more pigments have higher levels of atp than those with fewer pigments. pea aphids also have been shown to increase production of atp when exposed to sunlight.
based on this information, is the pea aphid a true autotroph?
a.
yes, because the pea aphid does not need to use energy from food.
b.
no, because the pea aphid is unable to use the energy from sunlight.
c.
no, because the pea aphid does not store energy from the sun as sugars.
d.
yes, because the pea aphid can store energy from the sun in atp molecules.