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Chloroplasts are specialized organelles found in plant cells and some algae, and their primary function is to conduct photosynthesis. This process involves capturing sunlight and using it to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. During this process, chlorophyll, the green pigment in chloroplasts, absorbs sunlight, providing the energy needed for these reactions to occur. The glucose produced serves as a crucial energy source for the plant, supporting growth, reproduction, and other metabolic functions.

While other choices present valid functions of different cell components or processes, they do not accurately reflect the primary role of chloroplasts. For example, breaking down waste is a function typically associated with lysosomes, energy storage is the role of other structures such as amyloplasts or vacuoles, and protein synthesis primarily occurs in ribosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, the unique ability of chloroplasts to convert solar energy into a chemical form of energy through photosynthesis distinctly characterizes their primary function.