Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria are primary producers upon which entire ecosystems are dependent. during photosynthesis, primary producers convert the carbon from inorganic carbon dioxide into organic compounds (glucose and other organic compounds). the amount of carbon that is processed during photosynthesis is referred to as gross primary production. net primary production, however, is always less than gross primary production. which of the following statements to explain this difference?
a. only some of the carbon converted by the plant is used to create new biomass.
b. plants utilize some of the incoming energy derived from photosynthesis for self-maintenance.
c. plants and algae carry out cellular respiration, which requires biochemical energy produced during photosynthesis