You Have Gathered Historical Data on the Prevalence of a Pathogen

question 29

Multiple Choice

You have gathered historical data on the prevalence of a pathogen throughout a population of bats.You have also learned the dynamics of transmission and the rate of infection.You want to know how this pathogen may spread to other colonies of bats adjacent to the population you are studying.What might be a good way to do this?

• A) Inoculate the adjacent colonies and watch to see how the pathogen spreads on its own
• B) Bring all the bats into captivity and expose them to the pathogen then measure how the bats from each colony respond
• C) Set up a field experiment where the prey spread the pathogen naturally
• D) Use historical data, the knowledge of its infection rate, and population dynamics to create a model and predict how it might spread.

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Definitions:

Dura Mater

The outermost, thick, and durable membrane of the three layers of the meninges that envelop the brain and spinal cord, providing protection.

Sciatic Nerve

A large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg, involved in controlling the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg.

Spinal Cord

A major part of the central nervous system that extends from the base of the skull to the lower back and is responsible for transmitting nerve signals between the brain and the body.

White; Gray

Refers to the two types of matter in the central nervous system; white matter consists of myelinated axons, while gray matter contains neuron cell bodies.