A Friend Who Is Not a Biologist Tells You That

question 15

Multiple Choice

A friend who is not a biologist tells you that she grows irises from iris roots.You explain to her that the "root" she is planting is not a root,but instead is called a rhizome."Why?" she asked.You explain:

• A)"A root grows vertically,not horizontally."
• B)"A rhizome has nodes and internodes and is really a modified stem that can exist underground."
• C)"A root stores nutrients,but rhizomes are underground stems that do not store nutrients."
• D)"A rhizome,although a modified stem,acts as a root does.In other words a rhizome is a stem-root combination."
• E)"A rhizome is a modified root that is able to grow leaves."

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Definitions:

Cetaceans

A group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises, characterized by their fully aquatic lifestyle and adaptations such as flippers and blowholes.

Pakicetus

An extinct genus of early whales that is considered a crucial link in the evolution from land mammals to aquatic cetaceans.

Indohyus

An extinct genus of even-toed ungulates that is considered an early ancestor to modern whales, highlighting the evolution of aquatic mammals.

Extinct Organisms

Species that no longer exist anywhere on Earth, often as a result of natural evolutionary processes, environmental changes, or human activity.