If You Have Ever Drunk Tea, You May Have Noticed

question 67

Multiple Choice

If you have ever drunk tea, you may have noticed that it can provide a "caffeine kick." Why might tea plants have evolved to produce caffeine in their leaves?

• A)Caffeine positively affects the nervous system of herbivores, encouraging predation.
• B)Caffeine adversely affects the nervous system of herbivores, discouraging predation.
• C)Caffeine is an attractant to insects, and encourages insects to live on tea plant leaves.
• D)Caffeine is produced by tea plants to attract pollinators, and serves the same function as nectar.
• E)Caffeine is an attractant to both insects and pollinators.

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Definitions:

Myelin Sheath

A fatty layer surrounding nerve fibers, which increases the speed at which electrical impulses propagate along the nerve cell.

Axon

A long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that typically conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body.

Dendrite

A branched projection of a neuron that receives electrical signals from other neurons.

Node of Ranvier

Gaps in the myelin sheath along a nerve fiber, where action potentials are regenerated for rapid signal transmission.