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Insects and Bacteria Appear to Team Up Against a Pesticide

question 5

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. Which of the following term(s) likely apply to the pesticide?

Definitions:

NLRB

The National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency in the United States that oversees labor practices, ensuring workers' right to organize and decide on union representation.

Representation Election

A voting process conducted, typically under the auspices of a labor relations board, in which employees decide whether or not they wish to be represented by a union.

Formal Role

The officially designated responsibilities and duties associated with a job or position within an organization.

NLRA

The National Labor Relations Act, a foundational statute in United States labor law which protects the rights of employees to engage in collective bargaining and to unionize.