Only checking my answers not asking for someone to give them to me.
Local farmers notice that pestice X is losing power against the beetles that were causing havoc on their crops. They are baffled by this phenomenon since the beetle population decreased significantly the first year they sprayed. Which of the following statements best explains why pesticide X is no longer effective against these beetles.
A) The pesticide caused the beetles to mutate and the mutation resulted in pesticide resistance.
B) Over time, the beetles learned to protect themselves from the spray.
C) The pesticide caused the beetles to breed more frequently causing the population to increase over time.
D) A few naturally resistant members survived the toxin and reproduced; resulting in a new generation of beetles that were poison resistant
I was a little preterbed on this question because most of them could be the answer but I feel as though the best response to this question would be "A"
I believe that you are correct.
Thank you Emma Helper!
You're welcome!
To determine the best answer to this question, you need to understand the concept of pesticide resistance and how it applies to the given scenario. Pesticide resistance occurs when a certain population of pests, in this case beetles, becomes resistant to the effects of a pesticide. Let's go through each statement and evaluate its likelihood.
A) The pesticide caused the beetles to mutate, and the mutation resulted in pesticide resistance.
This statement suggests that the pesticide X caused a mutation in the beetles, leading to pesticide resistance. Mutations can indeed occur in populations, and it is possible for some beetles to develop resistance to the pesticide as a result. Therefore, option A is a plausible explanation for why pesticide X is no longer effective.
B) Over time, the beetles learned to protect themselves from the spray.
This statement implies that the beetles somehow developed the ability to protect themselves or adapt to the pesticide over time. While some insects can adapt to their environment to some extent, it is less likely that beetles would develop a learned behavior to protect themselves from a pesticide. Therefore, option B is less likely to be the best explanation.
C) The pesticide caused the beetles to breed more frequently, causing the population to increase over time.
This statement suggests that the pesticide X affected the reproductive cycle of the beetles, leading to an increase in their population. However, this option does not directly address the loss of effectiveness of the pesticide against the beetles. Therefore, option C is less likely to be the best explanation.
D) A few naturally resistant members survived the toxin and reproduced; resulting in a new generation of beetles that were poison resistant.
This statement proposes that some beetles had a natural resistance to the pesticide and, therefore, survived and reproduced. This could lead to a new generation of beetles that are resistant to the pesticide X. Considering that some individuals in any population may possess natural genetic variations that make them less susceptible to a pesticide, option D is a plausible explanation for the loss of effectiveness of pesticide X.
Considering all of the options, option A and option D seem to be the most plausible explanations for why pesticide X is no longer effective against the beetles. However, option D specifically mentions the survival and reproduction of naturally resistant members, which aligns more closely with the scenario described. Therefore, D (A few naturally resistant members survived the toxin and reproduced) seems to be the best response to this question.