During a Field Trip, an Instructor Touched a Moth Resting

question 69

Multiple Choice

During a field trip, an instructor touched a moth resting on a tree trunk. The moth raised its forewings to reveal large eyespots on its hind wings. The instructor asked why the moth lifted its wings. One student answered that sensory receptors had fired and triggered a neuronal reflex culminating in the contraction of certain muscles. A second student responded that the behavior might frighten predators. Which statement best describes these explanations?

• A) The first explanation is correct, but the second is incorrect.
• B) The first explanation refers to proximate causation, whereas the second refers to ultimate causation.
• C) The first explanation is biological, whereas the second is philosophical.
• D) The first explanation is testable as a scientific hypothesis, whereas the second is not.
• E) Both explanations are reasonable and simply represent a difference of opinion.

---

Definitions:

Hematocrit

The proportion of blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells, expressed as a percentage.

Extracellular Fluid

The body fluid outside the cells, which includes blood plasma, lymph, and interstitial fluid, providing a medium for nutrient and waste transport.

Excretion

The process of removing metabolic waste products and other non-useful materials from an organism to maintain internal homeostasis.

Tubular Reabsorption

The process by which the kidneys reclaim water and solutes from the tubular fluid and return them to the blood.