How Might the Mutualism Between Ants and Flowering Plants Boost

question 12

Multiple Choice

How might the mutualism between ants and flowering plants boost the diversity of plants?

• A) Ants benefit from fleshy elaiosomes on seeds.
• B) The plant seed is protected from herbivores after being discarded in an ant nest.
• C) Plants grow in a small range around ant colonies, geographically isolated from other plant populations.
• D) b and c
• E) a, b, and c

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Definitions:

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A type of electron microscopy that produces high-resolution images of the surface of a sample by scanning it with a focused beam of electrons.

Electron Beam

A stream of electrons moved through a vacuum or air, utilized in various applications including welding and electron microscopy.

Integrins

Receptor proteins that bind to specific proteins in the extracellular matrix and to membrane proteins on adjacent cells; transmit signals into the cell from the extracellular matrix.

Middle Lamella

The middle lamella is the layer of pectin-rich material between the cell walls of adjacent plant cells, acting as a cementing agent to hold them together.