Which of the Following Best Explains Why the Rock Chimneys

question 36

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best explains why the rock chimneys of the Lost City host such a variety of unique microbial communities?

• A) The height of the chimneys creates a gradient of temperatures (hottest at the top and coolest at the bottom) along the chimney; these, in turn, become separate environments and host different communities.
• B) The height of the chimneys creates a gradient of pH (most acidic at the top and most basic at the bottom) along the chimney; these, in turn, become separate environments and host different communities.
• C) Although temperatures, pH, and other factors are the same all over each chimney, the chimneys are so big that different communities can occupy different sections of the chimney.
• D) The Lost City comprises a huge number of rock chimneys, each of which has its own unique environment; this means that each chimney hosts its own unique microbial community.
• E) None of the above.

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Definitions:

Conjunction

A word that connects phrases, clauses, or words together in a sentence; in logic, it represents a compound statement that is true only if both of its component statements are true.

Conjunct

An element of a conjunction in logic, being one of the propositions that are combined by "and" to form a conjunction.

Self-Contradiction

A statement that denies itself, presenting an inconsistency that renders the statement false.

Conjunction

In grammar, a word that connects clauses, sentences, or words; in logic, an operator that combines two boolean variables or propositions to return true only if both operands are true.