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Insects and Bacteria Appear to Team Up Against a Pesticide

question 37

Multiple Choice

Insects and bacteria appear to team up against a pesticide that is commonly sprayed on crops. The bean bug Riptortus pedestris is a common soybean pest and in a recent study was shown to acquire resistance to a common insecticide. This resistance is related to the presence of bacteria ( Burkholderia sp.) living within its gut. In this mutually beneficial relationship, more than 100 million bacteria can live within the insect's gut. Evidence suggests that these bacteria are able to break down the pesticide into carbon dioxide, which is used by the bacteria, and harmless waste products are then secreted. In a recent study, researchers fed bacteria-infested bean bugs and bacteria-free bean bugs a diet of soybean seedlings that had been treated with the pesticide. Most of the bacteria-infested bean bugs survived after eating the treated soybeans, but 80 percent of the bacteria-free bean bugs died. In the experiment, what would be considered the control group?

Definitions:

Puffy

Swollen, often used to describe parts of the body or areas of skin that are temporarily enlarged.

Neurons

Specialized cells of the nervous system responsible for transmitting information throughout the body through electrical and chemical signals.

Muscle Tissue

A tissue composed of fibers that contract to produce movement in the body; includes skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle types.

Regenerated

describes something that has been restored or replenished, often relating to natural processes or materials that have been recycled or renewed.